Comment Wall

Hi, everyone! If you're reading this, you have found my comment wall, which allows other students from my Mythology and Folklore class to access my storybook project site and leave comments.

Happy commenting!

My Storybook Site: Wonder Women: Mythical Greek Women and Feminism

Gal Gadot, the latest Wonder Woman, dancing. Source: Giphy.


Comments

  1. Hey there Abbi! I just had the chance to take a look at your project website. I really like the topic that you chose. As a woman, I can say that reading stories about men or written by men does get old sometimes. Not always are male writers able to completely understand what it means to think as a women, and therefore, the stories just aren't quite right. Women heroes and villains alike deserve more of the spotlight. They are much more than just a pretty face or perfect body. We women are smart, kind, intelligent, and so much more. I really like how you chose Wonder Woman as a representative figure for your stories, and having Medusa as a narrator is a really smart choice. Retelling her story in a way that made it so relatable to society as a woman today was something that I could have never thought of myself. I really look forward to checking out your project in the future.

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  2. Hey Abbi,

    I really enjoyed your introduction! I thought it was so interesting to have you writing from the point of Medusa, a scorned woman. I thought that really set the tone for what I am going to experience when I read your stories. I do agree that often we only get the view of a male in most ancient myths, so I think it is very intriguing to write about these myths from the perspective of a woman. I feel that this will allow us to become more aware and opened minded about when we are reading a myth. I have actually never heard the background of Medusa, so I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know about how she became the way she was. One thought that I had was that Medusa could have been her own story, but I thought it got my attention right away and kept me interested as I continued to read. I was just curious which Amazons you were talking about and who Atalanta is. I have not heard these stories so I was wondering if it would be possible to have a little background on them. Overall, I really enjoyed your writing and intro and cannot wait to see where you go with this!

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  3. Abbi... wow! After reading the first paragraph of your introduction I got hooked! I love that you have changed the game and transformed the stories, told by men, into stories told by the woman they star.I would never have thought to do something like this!
    Typically the men are "evil" or "monsters," but the story told to the world made Medusa seem like the monster, but really the male's writing was the evil action. I like the alteration of perspective and it definitely will lead people to read myths more carefully and I will always wonder if that is what happened or if that story was composed into something opposite of what happened. I am curious to see what other stories you will tell from a women's point of view, and I appreciate the suspense at the end of your introduction. I do not know who the Atlanta is, or who the Amazons are, but I am excited to read their stories. I definitely plan to bookmark this storybook.

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  4. Hello Abbi,
    Your intro was great! I really enjoy how you have changed everything to be in the perspective of the woman instead of the man! So refreshing! I have always wondered how the story really goes. I read about all these terrible things that happen to women and how they become evil or depressed and we never get to hear how they feel or what they are thinking. I cannot wait to hear more about your storybook! I also think it was a fantastic idea to begin your story in the mind of one of the mythological women. It was very fresh and I did not expect it. You did really well with hinting at what is to come without telling the reader too much. I love all the pictures of Medusa as well. The pictures are so powerful! In that beginning quote that you have italicized what if you said "always" only in one of the sentences? I think it would make it flow a little better. I like the way you bolded men to give what you are saying a little more attitude, and having Medusa said it hits home the aggression! In the very end when you mention the Amazons and Atlanta it would be great if you could explain who those people are. Maybe just a brief explanation of who they are or where they are from. I think you have a really great start so far. I look forward to what you come up with next!

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  5. Hi Abbi!

    First of all, from first glance, I loved how you started your introduction with the powerful questions. From a design standpoint, it look amazing with the italicized font page border directly below. This created separation from the hook into the chunk of content. Also, the way you bolded the word "men" here helped introduce the theme of your storybook's focus without having to spell it out for the readers.

    Also, I loved how you told your introduction from the standpoint of Medusa, and your devices that added mystery to her character, such as when you say "you don't know my story-- the real story." It made me feel like I was missing out on something which ultimately makes me want to read more. As far as suggestions, I would maybe add some more structure to this introduction, to lead into the discrete stories you are going to tell. I am so excited to read more, and fantastic job!

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  6. Hey Abbi,

    I wanna start off by saying that your cover page is very appealing. They say to never judge a book by its cover, but I think if you have a nice cover you'll have a better change of having more audience. Your introduction page is also catchy- it's simple, and not too distracting. I love the topic you have chosen, and it sounds like it's going to be very interesting. I can hear Medusa's personality through the words you have chosen, and it sounds like she has a little sass to her. I like the idea of separating her story from the rest of the introduction, and was thinking maybe you could try it. Maybe you can separate it by pictures, or even just a thin border. The only negative feedback I can give is that some of your sentences are run-on, or can be confusing to analyze. Also, Atalanta is also going to be in my storybook about feral children. I'm excited to see her story in your storybook!

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  7. Hi Abby,

    I'm super excited to see where you take your storybook! The website layout is super cool, and I love Wonder Woman, so that's a plus. I like that you'll be taking a different outlook to the traditional stories from a feminist standpoint. I think it's very interesting that you're making the villain of the story the male storyteller. I loved the changes you made to the original medusa story that most of us know if we're familiar with Greek mythology. Making it into a story of medusa becoming who she is to protect herself makes it so much better in my opinion. As well as making Athena merciful and comforting instead of wrathful and unforgiving makes more sense. Why would Athena forsake one of the people who went to her for comfort? Your telling makes the story have so much life and the words you used helps the reader become immersed.

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  8. First of all, I am so excited and eager to read the rest of your storybook. Wow. Your introduction is very strong and clear. After reading it, I knew exactly what to expect and how the stories were connected to mythology. As I was trying to write my introduction, I struggled with that so good job. One of my favorite parts about the intro was that it was written from the perspective of Medusa. I feel that as I a reader, I was able to get more connected to the character because I felt like she was telling me her story. I think you did a fairly good job of telling the history of Medusa. It was interesting to read about and compare Medusa's truth versus Ovid's side of the story. For future stories, I would continue to tell both sides of the truth because it provides essential background information that I feel is important to the reader so that they understand what is going on.

    I can't wait to read the rest of your storybook.

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  9. Hello!

    Great introduction, I really like the angle you're coming at with this story coming from Medusa's point of view. I also really like how you changed the story. I did not like Medusa's story as told by Ovid, this one is one I can really get behind though. You're story was also really easy to read, nothing about the story that I found confusing. When I saw the picture of Wonder Woman I was expecting something to do with superheros. Even though the title was Mythical Greek Women,it caught me by surprise when the narrator of the story was Medusa lol. I'm really curious to how the rest of your story goes! I wonder if Medusa will just narrate the stories of if these women will have the opportunity to meet and interact with each other? Hope the rest of your semester goes well and I hope your other stories just as good, if not better, than this one. Great job!

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  10. Hey Abbi!
    This introduction is incredible. Your verbiage is impressive and how you were able to encompass the frustration, anger, and resentment Medusa would have in this scenario. The sky is the limit with this concept as well. The amount of times Zeus impregnates a woman and leads to a chaotic story, happens too many times to count. These stories do always depict the women as damsels in need of men so it will be refreshing to see you take this pride back from history. It's funny because we are inclined to believe you due to the fact that according to the traditional tale, Medusa should be dead. This fact caused me to realize that the tales I had been told are probably wrong as you claim because the narration alone goes against my preconceived assumptions. It is evident that you really know your stuff, I cannot wait to read more and see how your imagination and writing gifts take wind!
    Good luck

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  11. Hi AbbI!

    Honestly my first read through of your project so far was amazing! I honestly love your project and the direction you took. I like that you took original tales and told the "true" version back again from the empowered female version. I also like the parallel mirror type of story. Like you gave the original version and the matched it with what the female perspective was. I truly enjoyed it. What really took the story to the next level was Medusa and her sass. I feel like since I read your intro I can sense your personality though her a bit. I truly enjoy Medusa's commentary through out the reading. I feel from the way I took it, it was less of a reading and commentary but more of a conversation with the reader. I was really engaging. Overall, great stories so far! I cannot wait to read the rest of your stories as the semester continues.

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  12. Hey Abbi! I thought your introduction was very well written. First, the way you changed the story to be told from a women's perspective, not only any women, but Medusa herself. The sentence structure was awesome while still being written in a "blog" style, more relaxed. I have always wondered why the stories were told from men rather than women. I truly enjoyed reading your story because I could follow every part and understand where your character was coming from. I wonder if you added some ideas that Athena might've had towards the situation that would have helped rather than cutting out every guy in her life moving forward. What if you had the characters talk about their traumatic events together? I know each story will be a different account from them but maybe you could have a therapy session or style where they can vent and understand that they aren’t alone? Overall, I loved your stories and I am really excited to see where you take each story moving forward!

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  13. HI Abbi! I really enjoyed your introduction and your use of Medusa as the narrator. I agree that there should be more spotlight on the women figures of Greek mythology, so I am excited to see what you bring. Regarding your first story, I found your narration style to be very easy to understand and follow. I think having a modern interpretation of retelling stories such as Greek mythology are not that common, so I am always a fan of such methods. It is probably why I enjoyed reading Percy Jackson so much as a kid. In terms of adding to the story, I think adding dialogue or adding more detail to the race would be more useful to the reader. The story is very quick and jumps from one event to the other, so adding more details to the race would add to the plot. Overall, a great story!

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  14. Hi Abbi!

    I just want to start off by saying that I am so excited for this project of yours! I love the theme and the idea that you're going to tell these stories through the perspective of a woman. I read the Introduction and I was already hooked onto your storybook. I like how the narrator was Medusa and her story was told through her perspective. I think your style of writing is very easy-going and easy to follow as well. I like that you've used a modern interpretation so it's going to make it more enjoyable for the readers. I think if you're going to add in things like Medusa's own thoughts or commentary, like in Atalanta, you could italicize it so the reader can tell that that is Medusa saying that and not part of the original story. I'm not saying that it was hard to tell, it was pretty easy to catch on to actually. But I think it would just make it easier to differentiate and it would just be a way to make her commentary standout. Overall, I think your project is awesome so far! I love the banner images you have used, especially the homepage one of Gal Gadot. And I love the gif of her dancing on this comment wall post as well. I'm super excited to come back to your project and read the rest of your stories!

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  15. The most impactful line from your introduction was, "...why is it that men are the leading authority in telling the stories of Greek women..." It added a purpose to your storybook project that spreads beyond this class. One suggestion I would have would be to add emphasis to this sentence as you've done in other places of your introduction. Another tip is to make your font changes consistent to either just bolding ("the male storyteller") or capitalization ("MEN").

    I enjoy your storybook topic of reframing Greek myths with a women's perspective, which is very problematic. The most significant issue I had with the original myth was if Medusa's curse was a punishment, why add in a stone-gaze, which would only harm the worshippers of the gods. Your Medusa as a woman who triumphs over her trauma makes for a far more logical and compelling narrative.

    I had never heard the myth of Atalanta, but...yeah that myth is...ugh.

    So Atalanta and her husband were cursed to be always horny, and when they did what very horny people do, they were cursed to become lions for it? Yet another brick in the wall of the Greek pantheon has the dumbest thought process.

    So Atalanta's father abandoned her because she was a girl (because society views femininity as inferior), yet when Atalanta becomes a talented 'masculine' person, he wants Atalanta to behave like a proper lady?

    My favorite sentence from the Atalanta story is, "She takes one look at one random guy and suddenly everything she's been doing her whole life, everything she's believed in up until this moment, means absolutely nothing." This trope is so typical for the female love interest in so many shows and novels that it hurts.

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  16. Hello Abbi!
    Your storybook is seriously one of my favorites. Now that is out of the way. I have not heard this story before and I thought it was very interesting. I really enjoy how you add the commentary to really make the reader feel in a feminist way instead of how it is originally meant to be portrayed. Through a man's eyes. I would be interested in hearing more detail about the races between Atalanta and the dreary men. I would like to know who Peleus is when you mention him or her? in the story. What if you mention why the golden apple is so enticing? Maybe she could have an inner monologue where she is arguing with herself on whether she should eat the apple or not and why she could not concentrate on the race. Just some additional thoughts. I really love what you have done with these stories! Keep it up!

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  17. Hi Abbi,
    I am very excited about your storybook! This is such a cool idea. I like the way that you executed it also. These stories are fascinating and I LOVE Medusa's commentary. The flow of the story is very conversational and I can almost see the eye rolls coming from Medusa. I do wonder though, is Medusa only going to tell the stories as they were told by men and give commentary? Or are we going to hear the 'real stories' like we did in Medusa's story?
    Aphrodite was angry at the "ungrateful couple", does that mean that Atalanta knew what had happened or did Aphrodite just not care? I suppose that is typical of many gods in mythology.
    The comments at the top of each of the pages are great, they really set the tone for the story we are about to hear and the sarcasm is strong (which I always love).

    I will definitely be returning to your storybook later on in the semester!

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  18. Hi Abbi,
    Going into this week, I was really excited to read the first story of your storybook. Your introduction was so funny and entertaining, so I assumed your stories would be the same.! I really enjoyed reading you adaption of Atalanta. I thought that Medusa's commentary was hilarious! In regards to the commentary, I think that it was a great idea to incorporate italics, as it put emphasis on how Medusa really felt. One aspect that I like about your stories/storybook is how informative is it! Not only was this story humorous, but I feel like I actually learned quit a bit about of information about Greek Mythology. I had no idea who Atalanta was prior to reading this story. Now, however, I feel like I will remember who she was because of the way in which you told her story! The only question I really have about this story is the golden apples? What made the golden apples magical? Did they have a specific power?

    Overall, I really enjoyed reading your story! You storybook is probably my favorite one and I can't wait to read more of it!

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  19. Hey there Abbi! Wow, I really liked your telling of the story of Atalanta. I thought it was so cool that she was like Tarzan, but even more extreme because she was raised by bears instead of gorillas. I also really like your approach to story telling because you have a clear purpose. You want to have a discussion about masculinity and you are using a unique forum to discuss it. I think it is really cool that you are taking old, classic stories and using them to talk about relevant topics. I like that she didn't want to participate in normal conventions like marriage. I think she is a great example of a strong, independent female lead. She really is a wonder woman. She was so confident that she would kill any man that lost to her. That is tough as nails. I like how someone unexpected was the one who was able to best her.

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  20. Hey Abby! I LOVE THIS! The story of Medusa is disgusting and needs to be rewritten-- and I love how you transformed it from a victim-shaming story to so much more. And honestly, Medusa deserves that. You really started out the introduction with such a bang, I cant wait to see how it goes! With Atlanta's story, I really love how the sass stays constant from the beginning to end. My only concern is that your story is incredibly high energy through out and without changes in energy it can be hard to read because not everything is life or death. Its still too early to know if this is actually going to be an issue but keep it in mind!

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  21. Hi Abbi!
    I first want to start out by saying how much I love your entire story vibe! I love how you take topics like masculinity, and use that as a common theme throughout your stories. Your story on Atalanta was so interesting to read! My absolute favorite part of your story is how you portray her to be different than the typical "woman." She stands out and doesn't need to be dependent on anyone, which I love! Your story was very interesting to read for many reasons, but what I loved most about it, was how you made it more light-hearted and fun. Your tone throughout left me wanting to continue reading!

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  22. Hi Abbi! First off, WOW! I love the theme of your StoryBook and think that it is so unique! You effortlessly took on modern topics and told them via your narrator, Medusa. I think that it is so cool that you are retelling old stories in a way that is also hitting on modern issues. Upon reading your Introduction and first story, I have come to love Medusa's sass... Her personality has really kept me on my toes and has made me giggle at some parts. She seems to have such a great energy about her. One question I have is about the golden apples that you mentioned in your story Atalanta. Was there something special about the apples that made them so irresistible? You could maybe even explain this in the Author's note below... Just an idea! Great work so far. I can’t wait to come back and read again once you add more stories!

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  23. Hi Abbi,

    I read through your introduction again and everything still flowed well to me! I mentioned in my comment above that I'm intrigued by your story telling idea; and I wanted to come back and read more.
    The story of Atalanta was really interesting to read. I liked that you put some modern slang in there, it helps us (the readers) relate to the story more by reading this. The subtle sarcasm in the storytelling also made me enjoy it so much more. It's entertaining to have that element adding to the overall picture the story is trying to paint. I like that you paint Aphrodite in a more negative light than is normally told in Greek mythology. She likes to meddle and then have a temper when her 'good' deeds are not appreciated it seems. I also liked that you tied the story back to Atalanta's origins. Because she was raised by wild animals in the beginning, it's interesting that she actually ended up becoming one herself. Good work on your writing and I'm excited to read the next addition to your storybook!

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  24. Hi Abbi!!

    I read your story about Atalanta and Hippomenes and I really enjoyed it! I like the route you are taking with the stories as a whole, and I think it will be a really good collection of stories. Your utilization of commentary and italics was hysterical, and I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout your story. You can sense the "sass" of Medusa, and it is a really positive contribution to the story. It seems Aphrodite sense that Atalanta's confidence in her ability might quickly be turning to arrogance, and this is what spurred her action. I thought your comment about ashes returning to ashes was really good! I like the fact that you brought it all the way around and had her return to where she came. I think that's a really cool way to end the story, and is very poetic in a way. I think you have a lot of potential with these stories, and in the end, you're going to have a really cool collection of stories. Good luck and I'm excited to read your next entry.

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  25. Hi Abbi! Your storybook is off to a great start. It is a really creative idea to retell classic Greek mythological stories from a feminist point of view. I think that we are all so used to hearing or reading these stories from the point of view of men, so this concept is really refreshing!
    I really like how you have connected everything with Medusa as the narrator. It really makes it easier to empathize with these women whose stories seem to have been misrepresented over time. Medusa speaks in a very relatable way that makes me feel like she is someone that I could have an actual conversation with. I also appreciate how you incorporated humor into both your introduction and first story.
    Lastly, I have to compliment the layout and design of your website. The images are so colorful and interesting, and they really add to your writing. I can’t wait to see the finished version of your storybook project!

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  26. Hello Abbi!

    Your storybook looks fantastic overall. It really looks like it was made by a person who knows what they are doing. Have you made other blogs/websites before or is this your first one? As for the theme of your storybook, I love it and I think you have many different paths and stories you can write about. Your writing style is very casual and I like it, it makes it easy for your readers to pick up what you are trying to explain. I also really love the banner picture for you story Atalanta. Also the gif included on this comment wall is a very nice touch. Overall, I think you have done a great job with your introduction and first story. I loved the introduction of Medusa because I love that origin story and I find it very interesting. I think this storybook highlights your creativity and your ability to write well.
    Good Job!
    -Sam

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  27. Hi Abbi,
    I just finished reading through the next story of your storybook and was not disappointed! I loved reading about the story of Hippolyta. I was a little sad at the end reading about her death, but hey that's how Greek mythology works, lots of people dying. I've mentioned it before, but you do such a wonderful job of creating these stories for the readers. They have such good flow to them, and you break them up into easy to read chunks. I also looked back through your website and I think it's very well built. All of the banner pictures relate to the upcoming stories and the small quotes at the beginning are a good preface into the stories. The only thing I would recommend is adding links to the next story. Once the reader is done reading the introduction, there could be a link to Atalanta's story for them to click on. Overall, you're doing such an amazing job on your storybook!

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  28. Hi Abbi!

    I LOVE Medusa retelling these myths from her perspective. Her introduction is extremely powerful and she provides a strong and unflinching voice for the following tales. All of your stories are incredibly well-written as well, it was easy to understand and picture all of the action happening.

    This week, we're supposed to be commenting on design, but honestly I have very little to offer here. Your pictures really add to your storytelling, I love the addition of the quotes at the start of each page, and your use of bold text in your stories helps the reader rather than distracts. My only potential change would actually be your homepage picture. While I get that the photo of Wonder Woman ties in with your title, it doesn't fit in with the theme of the rest of your photos or stories. Maybe swapping that out for a photo of Greek mythological goddesses or powerful figures might help? That's me being really nitpicky though, more of a personal choice than something you'd actually need to change! You've done a really great job and I can't wait to see your last story!

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  29. Hi Abbi!

    I loves your story about Hippolyta! It seems to me like the story of Hippolyta wasn't as simple as the other ones you have told, due to the amount of people involved. I think that you did a fantastic job of telling her story. The story was very clear and I knew exactly who the characters were and how they fit into her story. The story flowed very well and made a lot of sense. Good job!

    As far as design goes, I think that you website was put together well. One thing I noticed was the font of each title. The fonts of the titles were very bold. I love that. I think that the bold font you used can relate to one of the themes in your storybook: strong women. The women you are writing about are very bold. They were defying gender norms and empowering other women at the same time. They are bold just like the font you used. Additionally, the fact that Medusa is re-telling their stories in order to set the record straight and tell the real truth is bold! I look forward to reading more of your stories!

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  30. Hi Abbi!

    First of all, I want to say that your storybook seemed very exciting from the second I opened the page. Wonder Woman is one of my favorite superheroes, and I knew that anything relating to her would be interesting in itself. Then, I started reading your writing, and it got even better! I loved your use of colloquial language and humor, I thought it really added a layer to the story that made it an easy retelling in modern times. I also thought you did a really fantastic job of using images to make your story stand out against a white background.

    In terms of content, I felt that it was slightly misleading with the fact that Wonder Woman was in the title, when your stories revolved more around mythology than superheroes. Maybe you are going to tie Wonder Woman in more? Regardless, I felt that you did a really great job innovating classic stories and myths into a more modern retelling. I can't wait to read the rest of it!

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  31. Hey Abbi! I just finished reading through what you have so far, and I'm very intrigued by your storybook concept. I think that writing these stories from Medusa's point of view is a great idea, and you do a great job of showing her personality through the stories. You also convey your overarching theme of feminism really well throughout your storybook. Your language clearly focuses on the main female characters in mythology and their positive traits, and some of the things you said, like "It's time to let the women speak for a change" reminded me of some of the dialogue surrounding the subject today. If I could propose one suggestion, it would be to add some dialogue to your tales. I always appreciate when a writer can narrate a story, but still make the reader feel as though they're right in the middle of the action. I'm really impressed with what you have so far, and I'm excited to see what comes next!

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  32. Hi Abbi,

    I am back again for more of your empowering, totally brilliant reading of your storybook. Of course I enjoyed every minute reading your new story. I liked that you hinted at comic book characters when talking about the Amazon since I knew you were alluding to Wonder Woman! I thought the story was very engaging once again. I felt as if Medusa was sitting next to me and gossiping all these details about what really happened to me. I love the humor and sass that showed through out the storytelling. I felt as if the narrator (Medusa) really captures your personality well based off of your intro. I like the touch that Hera a was probably not the one being petty maybe to was because the story was told from a man's pov. This gets me thinking because IS Hera all that bad. In all the tales she seems to be a pithing women against women. As basically the Queen of the Gods shouldn't she be for women empowerment? Hmm who knows. Overall I love what you are doing with your story.

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  33. Hello again Abbi!
    I absolutely loved your introduction and after reading your first story, I liked it even more. I have never been a huge feminist type, but I love that you are giving female characters the voice that they deserve. I honestly never even knew the story of Atlanta, so that was all new to me. However, I like that you told it from Medusa's point of view and added in some funny commentary. Every thing that I was reading allowed me to visualize what was going on in the story. I understand that Atlanta cannot speak because she is a lion, but I wonder how she felt when her husband wanted to have sex so much that it caused them to desecrate a temple? Also, I understand wanting to feel equal in gender roles, but why did she feel the need to kill every man that lost to her? Did they disrespect her and set her off?

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  34. Hey Abbi!

    For starters, I really like the layout of your storybook and the images you have chosen. I also love the concept; so many of the stories we grow up with are narrated through the eyes of men, and women deserve to help shape the narratives according to their interpretations.

    In your introduction, I love how you have revealed the true origin story of Medusa. It is such a unique spin to describe how Medusa's stony gaze and scaly head of hair were her own doing, to prevent men from abusing her again. I also like how you have included the positive message about women supporting women; rather than Athena participating in shaming Medusa, she uplifts her and sympathizes with her victimhood.

    Your two other stories are also fabulous. I love the colloquial style that you use to narrate them, and how it really draws the reader into the action. The endings of both stories were exceptionally poignant. The morals they encompass are so important to acknowledge, and you have addressed them in very, touching clever ways. Fantastic work!

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  35. Hi Abbi!

    First of all, I LOVE your website. It's so aesthetically pleasing lol, it looks like it could be a real website for something! The pictures are super high quality and I love the fonts, colors, etc. (I'm an advertising/art major so I pay attention to stuff like that). I thought it was interesting that you wrote from the perspective of Medusa and I thought it was clever and made me laugh that the "villain" was the male storyteller. One of the little details of your website that I also liked was your use of bold text here and there. I thought it helped things stand out, and I've always liked doing that for my presentations and things like that so I appreciate you doing that! I think that something your stories could benefit from is maybe a little bit of dialogue here and there, but overall they are so well-written! Great job!

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  36. Abbi,
    I always enjoy reading your feminist commentary! It is so spicy! I really like where you got this story from. I can tell you did some digging and found it within the Heracles adventure to becoming a god. I thought it was a great idea to tell the story told normally and then back up and retell it in Medusa's voice. I would love to hear Medusa give more detail though. Especially when she is describing the heated situation between Heracles and Hippolyta. This would turn up the heat even more in the story! Also you talk of this very special belt but never mention why it is so special. Maybe it is magic? Maybe the wearer more powerful? Or maybe it is just a very important priceless heirloom? I think giving this information would give the reader just a bit more insight into why Hera would ask Heracles to snatch it from the Amazon. Keep these great stories going!

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  37. Hi Abbi!

    Your storybook is one of my favorites to read! I love the spin that you put on your stories. As far as author's notes go, yours are well done and are very impressive. I like that you explain more than just the original story in your author's note. You explain why you choose a specific picture, the title, and other elements on your page. I absolutely love that! Another thing that I like about your author's notes are that you explicitly state if you changed an element of the story. Since you are retelling your stories, one might assume that your story will be nearly identical to the original. However, you put your own creative twist on it, so there are a few differences, even if the plot stays the same. I appreciate you being so specific and detailed with your author's notes. Last but not least, I like the format of your author's notes. The think black line that you use to divide the story from your notes makes it very clear to tell where your story ends and where your author's note begins! Additionally, I think that is a great place to put a picture! Good job!

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  38. Hi Abbi! First of all, I LOVED your story! I almost chose this topic to write about for my project and I loved how yours turned out! I really enjoyed that you chose Medusa as the narrator, and that you chose for her to make sassy, feministic comments throughout her narration. Medusa is one of the most badass women in Greek Mythology, so it feels only right to have her be the deliverer of these badass women stories. As far as your author's notes go, I really liked the format and the content of them. The fact that they are kept separate makes for a clean and polished aesthetic. Even though they are kept separate and are short and sweet, I enjoyed how you gave just enough information about how and why you chose the pictures, characters, and storylines you did. Overall, I loved reading your stories and can’t wait to see how you finish it all up!

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  39. Hey Abby! Your story with Medusa is riveting. As I was reading it I was completely blown away with the level of detail that you added to the story! It was fun reading how each character was shaming each other. However, as terrible as Medusa was, I don't think she deserved it! Let her live! Your introduction is great and I am glad that I read more of your stories. One interesting thing to note is that your tone is pretty consistent throughout! It'd be cool to have a little bit more of slow roast kind of feel to some stories. I also really like how you emphasize key details with your use of bold! The author's note is also very informative and explained everything in the story very well. I'm excited to read more of your stories and see where everything goes!

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  40. Hi Abby,

    I read your story about Penthesilea and I thought it was pretty good! I like the idea of adding Medusa's commentary to the story. She makes a good point that no one asked Helen whether or not she actually got kidnapped by Paris. I think she did a great job of explaining the background of the story. As for the actual story, I like to see the amount of detail in describing Penthesilea, especially the part about her weapons, helmet, and armor dripping with the blood of Greeks. It's pretty easy to envision that in my head. I think adding some dialogue would make this story even better. I wonder what Achilles and Penthesilea said to each other as she was dying from the spear he threw at her. Would she have shouted at Achilles and demand that he killed her like everyone else? Looking forward to the next story!

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  41. Hi Abbi!

    This is one of the best projects I've seen for this course, especially visually. Your layout really pops, and you've went above and beyond in including several high quality images. It really helps the whole project look professional and sharp, great job! I loved the tone of your writing. It's lighthearted and fun, while still getting your message across and being bold in your ideas. Mixing humor with passion is always a great combination, and you really nail it in this project. For comments this week, we were supposed to look at paragraph length; I don't have any suggestions for you on this really! Your paragraphs are well-spaced and very readable. Like everything else about the overall format, very sharp. These stories were all new to me and I really enjoyed learning about them. The author's notes were helpful. This project is awesome, I hope you have more chances in college to write about literature from a feminist perspective! Nicely done all the way around.

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  42. Hi Abbi! When I read about the small group of Greek heroes who suddenly beat one of the most potent forces in the world, I also called bull. I loved your rant at Achilles! That was incredibly creepy, and it gives me shivers to wonder what Achilles would have done if Penthesilea had lived. I imagine history would say she fell in love, and some of the Amazons became loving wives to Greek men, and the others were killed. When, in reality, Achilles would plan on something gross, like try to use the lives of the Amazons as leverage to get Penthesilia to marry him. Ideally, Penthesilia should have stabbed Achilles in his heel (she was mortally wounded on the ground where she would reach him). Honestly, as a demigod, Penthesilia should have been stronger, but sadly women are incompetent at anything except child-bearing and rearing, chores, etc. Rant aside, I love the saltiness in your storybook, so thank you for writing it (even though this was for a class where you had to write something).

    Have a nice rest of the semester!

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  43. Hi Abbi!

    As I said before, I love your storybook! I wanted to come back and read your last story as my last project comment of the semester because it was one of my favorites this semester :) I love how your titles are fairly vague, just because the reader has no idea what to expect when first looking at your website. I think it's so cool that you went from a female empowerment standpoint, I never really thought about how men always tell the stories about powerful women in Greece. I thought your stories were really interesting to read, and I love how you put so many of their thoughts in there because it really helps us understand the characters more. Well, I hope you had an awesome semester, great job!

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  44. Hi Abbi!

    I remember your storybook was one of the first ones that I've read this semester and I loved it so much so I thought I'd come back and read it for my last few project comments. And I'm so glad I did because I had so much fun reading your other stories. I can hear the sass and attitude in almost every sentence of your stories and I think, scratch that, I know that is what makes it more fun to read. I think my favorite story was definitely the last one, Penthesilia. I like you described her as this fierce warrior and then "Greece" basically demotes her to "just a woman" when it comes to fighting Achilles. Also, every time I read "see, Greece?" or "right, Greece?" or "wasn't it, Greece?", I died. Basically every time you wrote a question, it was just so funny. You can definitely see the saltiness in those. Overall, your project is one of my favorites this semester! I can tell you've put so much thought into this project because it really shows. Great job! Hope you have a great rest of the semester!

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