CUNY Academic Commons | Melissa Dinsman | Activity https://commons.gc.cuny.edu/members/mdinsman/activity/ Activity feed for Melissa Dinsman. Sat, 01 Jan 2050 18:00:18 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v= en 30 hourly 2 734a62ce80b0af4008c72dc5324f8a94 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=255 Thu, 25 Oct 2018 19:47:29 -0400 Title
blah blah blah

]]> f82d3157b54faa8edee6dfb49dd41211 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=234 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 23:14:01 -0400 Michelle Cliff’s No Telephone to Heaven

Michelle Cliff’s novel “No Telephone to Heaven” follows the life of Clare Savage, a racially ambiguous woman from Jamaica with a middle class upbringing. Cliff takes […]

]]> 272a4564b3a59775e01f61d3f9c7c344 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=228 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 23:11:50 -0400 Jean Rhys’s Voyage in the Dark

Thesis statement: “How does London influences on a foreigner helps the foreigner feeli like they belong?

Sub-questions: “How were Anna’s decisions influenced by the way the L […]

]]> 6c5af4ae6390f5c2a2395de6cf83779f Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=224 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 23:04:10 -0400 Nella Larsen’s Passing
Passing, a novel by Nella Larsen is divided into three sections like a play, ending with tragedy. The novel is separated into these sections to discuss the transition in life for the two […]

]]> e0b343275ce5ff1a29046f6e51f6e2c9 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=219 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 22:54:18 -0400 Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway

Septimius Warren Smith, aged about thirty, pale-faced, beak-nosed, wearing brown shoes and a shabby overcoat, with hazel eyes which had that look of apprehension in them which […]

]]> 8e270b42b4feb7026b88f4c1cf863faf Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=216 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 22:53:12 -0400 Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers
Book I: Hester Street
“On the corner of the most crowded part of Hester Street I stood myself with my pail of herring. “Herring! Herring! A bargain in the world! Pick them out you […]

]]> 18a320593779af508fa3afb5767ef864 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=213 Sun, 02 Sep 2018 22:42:35 -0400 Edith Wharton’s New Years Day
Through disengagement of a crucial situation, Wharton ponders does class play a role in both old and new New York?. Throughout the novella, Edith takes on highs and lows of Lizzie […]

]]> 8d18094ddcc3b13884e695cd46bed10a Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=179 Tue, 07 Aug 2018 16:48:50 -0400 Founded in 1897, the Yale Club was created with the intention of providing Yale graduates a place to continue their close associations post-graduation. The building was originally located at 17 Madison Square, but […]

]]> d9c3be9457caef168fa15b8ab6496ddc Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=171 Tue, 07 Aug 2018 16:02:54 -0400 Sample Interpretation (“well-cut, shabby suit”)
When faced with the line from “May Day,” “The inquirer was dressed in a well-cut, shabby suit,” our team explored the numerous meanings of this sentence while t […]

]]> 8a0df0aa9f1e6d729604db937960ad03 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=164 Thu, 26 Jul 2018 02:17:14 -0400 “the returning soldiers marched up the chief highway behind the strump of drums and the joyous, resonant wind of the brasses”
Parades of returning WWI soldiers were common between December 1918 and throughout […]

]]> 8cfaae455a4f356734f74d5a2fe81399 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=141 Wed, 25 Jul 2018 02:26:04 -0400 2fee77a2140f26b47ff5a625f5c373d2 Melissa Dinsman wrote a new post on the site Reading Cities https://readcities.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?p=136 Wed, 25 Jul 2018 02:10:53 -0400 b0896ce0257bd21a2a0af6f2b4cb2570 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Letters with Kisses - Glamour me up, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/04/letters-with-kisses-glamour-me-up/#comment-96 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:43:19 -0500 I love that you recreated the 1940s face. It turned out great! I also like the depth you go into about some of these makeup items. I’m curious what else you found out about substitutes. Also, you mention above […]

]]> 9eeafc0c1e8c9d818f220da6e8493e13 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, 'Ladies and their Painted Legs', on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/05/ladies-and-their-painted-legs/#comment-95 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:36:37 -0500 Very interesting topic for this post and I love the inclusion of a makeup bar for legs. Do you know if these were only found in cities? What type of woman was making use of these? Also, did you come across the […]

]]> 19d4346783a1eb44d0a0148bc0e49600 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, The History of the "Bomber Jacket", on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/05/the-history-of-the-bomber-jacket/#comment-94 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:27:58 -0500 This was a very fun and interesting post. I like the timeline of aesthetics you provide and your discussion of why certain materials were used in the original version. What do you think it says about this item of […]

]]> fa9e69bb7a4a9a2974521b9f3d51d04e Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, WWII WARdrobe, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/06/wwii-wardrobe/#comment-93 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:20:25 -0500 Some very interesting information. Mrs. Sew and Sew in particular is the stuff of nightmares. It is strange to think that ad would be effective. You mention Women’s Utility clothes. Did you find any images of […]

]]> 9dedc3526efbbab530db2741a02c8c05 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, The 1940s Guide to Makeup!, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/06/the-1940s-guide-to-makeup/#comment-92 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:08:07 -0500 I like how you broke this blog post down by makeup location. I found the idea of using burnt cork as mascara very unappealing. In your research did you come across a process for making this?

]]> 45792ab0f7545bc8b8335ac42caed090 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, The Siren Suit, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/12/06/the-siren-suit/#comment-91 Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:06:18 -0500 A really interesting choice for this blog. This was an item of clothing I had seen before, but didn’t know much about. Thanks for sharing this information.

]]> 031b6d943d8f1c984ae0c1f5e997c3ea Melissa Dinsman joined the group Faculty Fellowship Publication Program (FFPP) https://commons.gc.cuny.edu/activity/p/480287/ Tue, 05 Dec 2017 23:52:56 -0500 2f12e38d3cd35e5ef5bb474582b90f57 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Bing Crosby's I'll Be Seeing You, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/29/bing-crosbys-ill-be-seeing-you/#comment-76 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 21:48:17 -0500 You do an excellent job of close reading the lyrics of this song for a wartime audience and your work on Crosby’s appeal is also well done. You mention that the song is still a part of our cultural memory but the […]

]]> 9ac416005829a3e67ed752199f9aa47a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, "In the Mood" Glenn Miller & his Orchestra, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/29/in-the-mood-glenn-miller-his-orchestra/#comment-74 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 18:53:17 -0500 Your covering of Miller’s history as a musician and this song is well done, but you don’t address Miller’s mysterious death. Also, do you mean 1994 or 1944? I think it is the latter, correct? From your research […]

]]> 90d9257427b105c5182d9dbc5fa5f14e Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, , on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/28/949/#comment-73 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 18:36:52 -0500 You have found some good information on the song’s history and on Miller himself; although I would have like to have seen you expand on his celebrity and at least mention some of his other hits. I also wonder why […]

]]> b0aeea52f1ab6e59aae81bf1265d082a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Vera Lynn: The White Cliffs of Dover, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/28/vera-lynn-the-white-cliffs-of-dover/#comment-72 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 18:25:06 -0500 Your reading of the significance of the “bluebird” in the song was really interesting and made me want to see more close readings of the lyrics in general. In the beginning of the post you do a nice job of […]

]]> 5d7c8ef7fc41af4a01bac84baeb9094a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, George Formby, “I Did What I Could With my Gas Mask”, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/28/george-formby-i-did-what-i-could-with-my-gas-mask/#comment-70 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 18:13:03 -0500 You are right to connect the comedic tone of the song with the message that people should carry a gas mask with them. However, the British heavily overestimated the need for gas masks. They had imagined that […]

]]> e3cf31cd186ef5a1102ac8a636e9b398 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, "Lili Marlene" by Marlene Dietrich, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/28/lili-marlene-by-marlene-dietrich/#comment-69 Wed, 29 Nov 2017 18:00:52 -0500 This is an interesting post and you do a nice job of reading the lyrics here. The sound of the song is so quintessentially German cabaret that it is somewhat surprising that it became such a hit during the war. In […]

]]> 7ea6bc140872cff67a21c95ed7c26a1f Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, "Run Rabbit Run" by Flanagan and Allen, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/27/run-rabbit-run-by-flanagan-and-allen/#comment-62 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 17:02:55 -0500 This was such a fun and interesting post to read. I loved the inclusion of the parody version and the idea that the rabbit hoax was used to improve British morale seems such an innocent story upon first read, but […]

]]> 24f7e880870791734b055a0bdeaad245 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, “When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World”, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/28/when-the-lights-go-on-again-all-over-the-world/#comment-61 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:51:24 -0500 Nice reading of the lyrics in this post. Did you find a recording of the song? If so, can you link to it or include it in the post please so that others can hear it? Also, what did you find out about Vaughn […]

]]> bc325e3480d25289af3736739e1c12c5 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, , on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/27/860/#comment-60 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:43:39 -0500 Interesting discussion of this song, particularly the reading of the relationship between soldier and officer. I also found it interesting that people would have learned this song as children. This post left me […]

]]> efc88e2f14d01c5bf1255107d4ca0673 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, The Power of Red Lipstick, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/26/beauty-with-a-purpose/#comment-59 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:34:50 -0500 Very interesting post and beautifully presented! As I was reading I wondered if you had come across any advertisements for red lipstick during the war. And where would the women have learned about beet juice as a […]

]]> c89228461b147d32258550efe7d39411 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree- The Andrews Sisters, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/25/dont-sit-under-the-apple-tree-the-andrews-sisters/#comment-58 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:18:16 -0500 You do a nice job here of thinking about the impact this song and other music would have had on both soldiers and people back home. You are right to connect music with the stories often left untold, those about […]

]]> e12af6f41cb5060139f8ae0264368d97 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again", on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/24/vera-lynns-well-meet-again/#comment-57 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:01:49 -0500 This is an excellently researched and clearly written post. You have done a very nice job of close reading the lyrics and I appreciate the work you’ve done on researching the singer as well. I didn’t know she had […]

]]> af07180f6ac4110570dd8208c0e205c8 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Let us "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to The Beat, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/21/let-us-boogie-woogie-bugle-boy-to-the-beat/#comment-56 Tue, 28 Nov 2017 15:50:20 -0500 The new order of this post works much better and I like the close reading you do of the lyrics here as well the discussion of the musical instrument referenced in the song. Do you know if the sisters toured […]

]]> 0bf54c792053d9799f61e6cb01375edb Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, See How Your Salvage Helps a Bomber, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/01/see-how-your-salvage-helps-a-bomber/#comment-45 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:35:01 -0400 From your research, can you explain why citizens had to participate in the building of bombers through saving during WWII? Was this saving actually helpful in the end? Also, I don’t think those posters are from […]

]]> 66c206d307847381ccd2a7754fcc1479 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, She Talked ... This Happened-Careless Talk Costs Lives, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/27/she-talked-this-happened-careless-talk-costs-lives/#comment-44 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:28:08 -0400 I like the connections you drew to your own service in the military. It it is true that this “keep mum” mentality persists today. What is striking is that during WWII it was also expected of civilians. And I think […]

]]> eebb3c317efb72ebdd87b0a31e931ca1 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Bones Are Still Needed, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/31/bones-are-still-needed/#comment-43 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:15:16 -0400 From your research, what did you find out about saving bones during wartime? Why were fertilizer and glue needed? Was this only for the home front, or were they needed for the front lines as well?

]]> 56f6b7c67d5fe7d82de778fd88402a0b Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, 'Go through your wardrobe Make-do and mend', on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/01/go-through-your-wardrobe-make-do-and-mend/#comment-42 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:01:14 -0400 I question whether the woman in the poster is meant to be upper-class. Don’t you think this would have limited its effectiveness as it would have limited its intended audience? Also, what did you find out about […]

]]> a01c939ca10dbdff839a5b5372134a0d Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases!i, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/01/coughs-and-sneezes-spread-diseasesi/#comment-41 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:53:03 -0400 Do you think the poster of the women sneezing and therefore spreading a cold can be connected to the fears of women more generally? For example, there were also posters about women spreading VD and women spreading […]

]]> 2cc0c505a303088e7d0ee7a36ccd9874 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Here Comes the Bride, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/28/here-comes-the-bride/#comment-40 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:46:43 -0400 Some very nice research included here. The aesthetics of the second Mount poster is striking when compared to the first. The ominousness of the shadow would have certainly suggested danger. But it also amazes me […]

]]> 4b45eaf3015fea5e46d4af2b71daf768 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Digging For Victory, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/29/digging-for-victory/#comment-39 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:33:20 -0400 Some great connections made in this blog post. I love the inclusion of Potato Pete! Why do you think there was so much emphasis on the potato itself? And why do you think the poster is geared toward children?

]]> 55caa686b3f78a74075988d758af7a7a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Food Posters as Propaganda, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/31/food-posters-as-propaganda/#comment-38 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:23:52 -0400 Some interesting questioning of the poster slogan validity? Do you think this would have made them ineffective? What about the pathos of the posters? How do you think people would have emotionally responded to the messaging?

]]> 017bc52c695cd9255b80baf35de31c60 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Keep Mum - She's Not so Dumb, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/01/keep-mum-shes-not-so-dumb/#comment-37 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:12:18 -0400 Very nice connections between the Keep Mum poster and the others in the series. One has to wonder about the possible long-term impact such campaigns might have had in sowing distrust between men and women or on […]

]]> 25ce33e926eacb44026708a25a4c3e0b Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Don't do it, Mother - Leave the Children Where They Are, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/11/01/dont-do-it-mother-leave-the-children-where-they-are/#comment-36 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:00:19 -0400 Some very good information in this post! You mention “evacuation zones” above. Could you expand a bit on this? What were these zones? Where were they located? What was considered safe and what dangerous?

]]> d1ef2c78b627e187290ab18f5e155577 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Tell Them To Make It A War Savings Christmas, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/26/tell-them-to-make-it-a-war-savings-christmas/#comment-35 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:51:07 -0400 Love the inclusion of the historical photos in this post. Did you come across anything to suggest how many years this poster (or ones similar to it) was in use?

]]> 60f7aa2cae7c56e1a98cb999380d8cf2 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Women Wanted for Evacuation Service, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/10/25/women-wanted-for-evacuation-service/#comment-34 Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:35:38 -0400 This is an interesting post and I appreciate the inclusion of information about the evacuations. In your research, did you come across the approximate number of children evacuated?

]]> 8341ae5e9a48aca241be39656008b91a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Potato Soup + Potato Salad, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/27/potato-soup-potato-salad/#comment-26 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:56:34 -0400 Saima,

I am pleased to see that you made two recipes! And you are right in asking “Who doesn’t love potatoes?” Certainly the British did. Have you given any thought as to why potatoes were used so much? Also, […]

]]> a750cf960fb60046e41ddbc68f37a13b Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Cheese Pancake, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/27/cheese-pancake/#comment-25 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:48:56 -0400 Nia,

This actually looks like it would taste pretty good. (I am a fan of savory pancakes and pepper.) I’m wondering if part of the problem was the uneven mixing of ingredients or the fact that the three tasters […]

]]> 217582632c233b7cf4d2200e772e540e Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Potato Cheese, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/27/potato-cheese/#comment-24 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:40:37 -0400 Dear Zuanra,

I am pleased to see this recipe turned out well. Cheesy mashed potatoes tend to be good. I think you are right to question the cheese choice. Not only because of flavor, but also because […]

]]> aab177165537a6711a755918b929ae03 Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, WWII Rations: Potato Soup, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/26/wwii-rations-potato-soup/#comment-23 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:33:16 -0400 Dear Claudia,

I’m please to see you got your family involved and that your nephew was willing to try the food. I think a couple things could have helped the taste of this recipe. One would have been using […]

]]> fdee38a862b4065a8ff4aebe4c92119d Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Potato Pastry (for savoury dishes), on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/26/potato-pastry-for-savoury-dishes/#comment-22 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:26:41 -0400 Dear Fahmida,

It looks like you had a successful cooking attempt for this blog and I’m pleased that your family found the result enjoyable to eat (even if they used ketchup.) I am looking, however, for a bit […]

]]> 265a5e40d256c96db86cedba8ae45c9a Melissa Dinsman commented on the post, Baking In The Blitz: Potato Scones, on the site ENG 410: WWII Literature https://eng410wwiilit.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/25/baking-in-the-blitz-potato-scones/#comment-21 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:20:56 -0400 Hi Saudia,

Like Deen, I am also a bit jealous your choice was more edible. I think overall the potato dishes have been the tastier of the bunch. You are right to think about the importance of potatoes in the […]

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