I chose to produce a creative-critical project in the form of a website to pair my discussion of material and space with representative visuals. While approaching my research question, I was inspired by Professor Catasús’ slideshows. The images of rafts and lofts from these slideshows situated my approach to the texts so that I could search for deeper meaning of material. I found my experience with these images to be so engaging that I wanted to challenge myself to incorporate visual elements into a literary comparison of Manual for a Desperate Crossing and “A Knack for Making Ruins.” Additionally, many scholarly sources, such as Ackerman’s “Inventar: Recent Struggles and Inventions in Housing in Two Cuban Cities,” presented images that were more effective in emphasizing the significance of material and space than words alone.
The process of creating a website was similar to drafting an essay. I began by closely reading the texts and identifying similar themes between the two. Then, I drafted an outline of a paper, and then a paper itself, organizing ideas into claims and experimenting with different pieces of evidence and interpretations. However, I also made notes of moments in the paper that called for images to enhance a visual understanding of the text. This presented a challenge, as I felt responsible in choosing images that best represented the experiences of the characters in the texts, but I struggled to find a variety of historically accurate photographs. This led me to incorporate visuals in other forms, such as Charisse Foo’s artwork and Del Real’s economic diagram. While I did not expect to analyze artwork or case studies, the application of various forms in my argument reflects the versatility with which we can describe material and space. I also found general images that represented comparative points of my argument, such as the differentiation between “away” and “inward” shown by an atmospheric view of the Florida Strait juxtaposed with a collapsed building in Havana. These visual cues to the reader lift my argument out of paragraphs on a page and into visual dimension.
Regarding the audience of my website, I considered that viewers may not have the historical background necessary to situate the relationship between material, space, and resistance in Cuba. This shaped the organization of the website. Historical pages precede literary analysis pages to better contextualize the analysis to come. Additionally, I assumed that some viewers may not be accustomed to seeing beyond the mundanity of material, so I incorporated a brief reflection exercise at the beginning of the site and within the literary analysis. The exercise prompts are questions I asked myself while I read the texts. Thus, the presentation of these questions prompts the audience to consider their own interpretations of material, inviting them to join the conversation.
The most challenging aspect of creating the website was formatting the individual pages. I rearranged titles, paragraph breaks, and visuals repeatedly until I was satisfied with the flow of the page. While this step took much more effort than formatting a conventional paper, the result allows for greater engagement and visual appeal. For example, large text emphasizes key moments in the argument, such as the research question and my ultimate thoughts. Additionally, the spaces between paragraphs and pages forces a pause- time for reflection and a mental break for the audience. It is my hope that, guided by the essay and visuals, the audience will walk away with an engaged and inspired understanding of Cuban resistance through physical repurposing and spatial change.