In this week’s blog post I will be reflecting on my experiences throughout this semester. I’ll be going over some of the different processes I learned throughout the course that helped me grow not only as a writer but a student as well.
To begin the semester I learned how to create a website; through this site I started a blog that produced some interesting content and varying opinions on a serious of topics. I also learned more about rhetoric and to how communicate with a better understanding of the text, purpose, and audience. With that understanding I also learned about the four different types of rhetorical modes which are; description, exposition, argumentation, and narration. In class we read a lot of material on the process of writing through the opinions of many different authors. No reading was more influential to me then Bird by Bird: Some instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott; especially her quote “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts..” this quote in particular resonated with me because I sometimes struggle to get anything on paper because I think it needs to be perfect. Hearing this from a renowned author made me feel a lot more comfortable with the writing process. Another reading that opened my eyes to a lot of underlying symbolism was Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway; the live reading we did in class was really beneficial; having the story read aloud and Professor Mangini explaining the different signs of symbolism made me think more in depth and helped me apply into my writing process. I’m thankful for this course because it made my transition back into school after four long years so much easier. I feel a lot confidant as a writer after this course; and I’m excited to apply these new found skills into future courses.
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The video Reflective Writing I watched talked about how useful this type of writing can be, and the advantages of choosing this style of writing. Before writing my research paper we set up our own Research Paper web page dedicated to our drafts, processes, and products. My research paper was on prison reform in America and my opinion on the topic. I will also be answering questions based on my writing process.
In this blog post I will be providing you with an annotated bibliography for my research paper. An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to a serious of books, articles, and documents. Each citation is elaborated through a descriptive paragraph, an annotation. My research question is should the American Government reform its prison system?
Source 1
Source 2 Kvernvik, Arne “Punish with Dignity” 2016 http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libdb.dccc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=6929c6f6-8329-4737-b39d-92eac2c127d5%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=118093448&db=aph
Zuckerman, Mortimer https://www.wsj.com/articles/mortimer-zuckerman-harsh-sentencing-overstuffed-prisonsits-time-for-reform-1399062260
Source 4 Leaders section under the print addition ‘Jail Break” 2013 https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21722642-lot-known-about-how-reform-prisoners-far-too-little-done-americas-prisons-are
Source 5 Gotsch, Kara “Thousands are stuck in prison-just because of the date they were sentenced. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/thousands-are-stuck-in-prison--just-because-of-the-date-they-were-sentenced/2018/01/31/0c1629e2-fd68-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0062665d85d6
For this Weeks blog post I will come up with three different topics pertaining to the documentary Where to Invade Next, with a research question and argument for each topic listed.
For this weeks blog post I will be analyzing the documentary Where to Invade Next, directed by Michael Moore. In the documentary Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore “invades” various countries in Europe to “steal” alternative solutions to some of America’s biggest problems. During his journey he discovers just how effective some of these foreign countries methods are. Italy has one of the most efficient workforces on the planet; thanks to a belief that every worker should have a more balanced quality of life. As Moore flees to France, he investigates Frances public school systems. While at lunch, (the French consider this a class) the students are fed five star restaurant quality meals with an emphasis on etiquette; demonstrating the effectiveness of showing kids at a young age how to eat right and share. In Finland; where prisons are more like rehabs then actually jails. Inmates are put into a living community to serve their sentence, with all the same emmenities that regular citizens have. Inside their maximum prison facility, there’s an obvious focus on rehabilitation. The facilities are top notch allowing inmates to develops as “neighbors” with a recording studio, stare of the art library, and actual bedrooms. Unsurprisingly Finland has one of the lowest re-incarceration rates in the world. These are just a few examples of how we can improve our country and the people within our communities.
In this week’s blog post I will be giving my own interpretation on the Reflective Writing video, also in the post below I will be answering a number questions regarding my own personal writing process. Who did you work with to compose your life-choice memoir? I used a lot of the practices I learned in class and implemented them into my memoir. In addition to the help I received in class also I had my girlfriend proof read my writing because I value her opinion greatly. Was this a good approach? Yes because I like another set of eyes reviewing my work so I can have a different perspective on the matter. What rhetorical mode and genre are you using? The rhetorical mode I used was mainly narration, this mode enabled me to sequence the timeline of my story chronologically so the reader wouldn’t have a problem dictating who, what, when, and where. The genre I used was creative nonfiction. When did you write this project? I started writing this project on an earlier blog post, which gave me the inspiration to use it for my memoir Good approach? . I think it was a good approach because I got really good feedback from the story originally which gave me the confidence to delve into it further. Where did you write this project? I wrote this project from home. Good approach? It was good because all the resources I need are available, and where I write is quiet and allows me to focus in more on my writing. Why did you choose to write about your chosen topic? . I chose to write about this topic because it was a pretty dark time in my life, and one of the more difficult decisions I ever had to make. Good choice? I think so because it was a make or break situation for me at the time. How did it feel to write this narrative ("during, after, and since")? Do you have any "if only" moments that can help you revise the draft? It felt great writing about my experience, it allowed me to reflect and appreciate the person I’ve become today, and I probably won’t have any “if only” moments until next class. How will you revise your narrative? I’ve already revised my narrative twice so I’m sure I’ll find new revisions in the next couple of days. In this blog I will be reading and giving my thoughts on "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway and if Jig will ultimately stay with, or leave her boyfriend. Also I will be telling about a time in my own life I decide to stay, or leave a relationship. To begin I personally believe Jig did leave her boyfriend for multiple reasons. In the story her boyfriend never gets a proper name he’s referred to as “the man”. So in the story this couple is contemplating abortion. As their waiting for a train to Barcelona, they decide to order a couple beers. Already I have an issue, this girl is pregnant and it doesn’t matter if they want to abort the baby to me it’s unmoral to drink while pregnant at any stage no matter what. Her boyfriend had no issue; in fact he encouraged it which shows he doesn’t care. So as their talking over drinks, “the man” tries to reassure Jig the operation is simple, that their just “letting the air in” he makes it sound so easy you would think he’s had this procedure done in the past. He goes on to say that he’ll be with her every step of the way, that they’ll go back to normal and that having a baby was the sole reason for their troubles. It’s abundantly clear just through their conversation that her boyfriend has his own agenda. Not once did he ask her what she wanted to do, or if she was even okay. All the man is worried about was his own self, and future. If he has the means to have a baby, and aborts it anyway to me he really doesn’t love this girl. At the end he asks if she’s okay, to which she replies “I’m fine” any guy with experience knows that when your girl say she’s fine, she’s really the opposite and is harboring some feelings towards you. So in the end I think she comes to her senses, realizes this guy doesn’t love her and moves on. I been friends with this kid for over fourteen years, I’ve known him so long now that he was practically family to me. Until a couple months ago, things started to go south between us and I ended the friend ship. So he was out of work for quite some time and bills were tight. After hearing he had some money problems I went out on a limb and got him a job where I worked. Things were good at first he was making money, and seemed to be enjoying it. Until a couple weeks later he was due in for work but never showed or called. Mind you this job was a pretty big deal and I depended on him. Of course he left me out to dry wouldn’t return any of my texts or phone calls making me out to be an idiot basically. Finally I had enough and texted “I really don’t appreciate you going MIA, I stuck my neck out for you and you made me look like a fool. If you didn’t want to work man up and tell me”, to which I still got no response. I’m fed up at this point, and then he has the audacity weeks after the fact to text me about some song he had just heard totally ignoring what had transpired. That was four months ago and I haven’t talked to him since. This wasn’t the first time this person in particular did something I didn’t agree with. I just got tired of going out of my way for people who wouldn’t do the same for me. So from now on I try to just focus on me and be more deliberate with whom I chose to be around because some people don’t really care about you like you thought they did. In this blog post, I will be responding to the podcast What You Don't Know (Lulu Wang) by giving my opinion on Lulu's family lying to their mother. Also I will be writing about a time in my own life when I had to lie to protect someone or tell the truth.
Personally I disagree with the family’s decision to not tell Nainai. Not because I don’t agree with the premise of the lie, but that in the reading some interesting facts were given. To begin it was revealed that Lulu had a grandfather, Yeye, who died of liver cancer when she was 10. The Wang’s also kept Yeye’s diagnosis a secret, only for him to find out through his wife Nainai on his death bed. Also in 2007, Nainai was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a mastectomy performed and wore a prosthetic breast, and didn’t tell her entire family all so they wouldn’t worry. If the Wang’s really believe that their lie played a part in Nainais miraculous recovery, then why didn’t that same lie save Yeye? How come when Nainai was made aware of breast cancer diagnosis, she didn’t die? The point I’m trying to make is to me, Nainai sounds like a very strong woman who has managed to beat two different types of cancer by the grace of god, not by a lie. Back when I was a senior in high school I was addicted to Xanax. I started off just taking some at parties, but as time went on I became dependent on them. I was using before school, at home, etc. None of my family or friends knew exactly what was wrong but something was up. I started drinking while using and I’d go into these deep black outs. So one night I left this party in a complete black out and to keep a long story short I ended up breaking into someone’s home and passing out in their living room. I came to the next day not knowing where I was, or what had happened the night before. According to police the home owner found me and dialed 911. I spent that whole night in a holding cell into the morning. I called my mom, and when she got to the station she couldn’t believe what had happened. She knew I drank but she had no idea that I was also on drugs. So on the way home I told her the truth that it wasn’t just the alcohol that I’ve been on drugs, specially Xanax, and cocaine. She started to cry, which honestly made me cry because I felt so ashamed. So after a long discussion with my parents they sent me to a rehab in Lima, PA. I did my 28 days and came out of it with a whole new perspective on life; I feel that if I didn’t tell the whole truth, I probably wouldn’t be here today. This week I've read the short story My Name is Margaret (Maya Angelou). In this blog post I will be revealing whether or not I agree with Margaret’s decision to break the casserole dish, and the two green cups due to the mistreatment by her racist boss Mrs. Cullinan. Also I will describe a time I chose not to be oppressed. Write a 200-word argument that responds to this question: Did you agree with Margaret's choice to break the casserole dish and two green glass cups? Yes, I do agree with Margaret’s choice to break the dishes. Mrs. Cullinan was a racist who treated her employees horribly. One night as Margaret was serving the women on the porch, Mrs. Cullinan’s neighbor Mrs. Randall asked Margaret her name and then went on to belittle Margaret over her quietness and even questioned her mental fortitude by asking if she was “stupid” basically talking about Margaret like she wasn’t on the porch. The two women then complained of Margaret’s name being too long, so they renamed her Mary for short without permission. This incident left Margaret fuming. Miss Glory, another maid who’s worked under the Cullinan’s for years, told Margaret that Mrs.Cullian changed her name too, originally Hallelujah, and Mrs.Cullian changed it to Glory instead. To Margaret’s surprise Miss Glory has no problem with the name change, actually preferring it over her own. Staring her future in the face, Margaret come to the conclusion she had to quit or she too would be a slave to Mrs. Cullinan. For over a week Margaret began to show lackluster effort at work in hopes Miss Glory would relay this to Mrs. Cullinan thus terminating her. These attempts were to no avail. With the help of Bailey, Margaret finally came up with an idea. In the cabinet were Mrs.Cullinans favorite dish ware, her mother’s casserole plate and two green cups. Margaret after serving the women on the porch purposely dropped an empty serving tray in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion from outside, Mrs. Cullinan rushes to the kitchen, Margaret casserole dish and cup in hand, drops the dishes onto the floor shattering them. Mrs. Cullinan is livid, screaming and crying rolling around on the floor like a spoiled toddler. Showing her racism in a profanity laced rant; Mrs. Cullinan berates Margaret over the broken dishes. As the house guests crowd around to ask who broke the plate, Mrs. Cullinan calls Margaret by her real name. Dignified, Margaret walks out of the house with her head held high resisting the same oppression Miss Glory never could. I have read three separate materials and chose my three favorite quotes from each reading. At the end of the blog there are also my own personal quotes that I live by in my daily writing process.
Teach Writing as a Process Not a Product (Don Murray) Quote 1: “Don’t look back. Yes, the draft needs fixing. But first it needs writing.” (Murray XII) Quote 2: “Writing is primarily not a matter of talent, of dedication, of vision, of vocabulary, of style, but simply a matter of sitting.” (Murray XV) Quote 3: “At age 77, I realized that I am a storyteller who must tell the stories life has given me. The genre must come from the story to be told not from the literacy ambition of the writer.” (Murray XVI) The Daily Writing Routines of Great Writers (Maria Popova) Quote 1: “I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all.” (E.B. White) Quote 2: “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” (E.B. White) Quote 3: “You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again.” (Ernest Hemingway) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anne Lamot) Quote 1: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” (E.L. Doctorow 4) Quote 2: For me, and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts. (Lamot 6) Quote 3: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something-anything-down on paper.” (Lamot 7) My Process 1: “Research your subject matter thoroughly before you put anything on paper.” 2: “Don’t worry about anything as your writing just write.” 3: “Focus on the task at hand, don’t get caught up in outside distractions.” |
Andrew Barone
Through this blog, I will be providing readings and research from my English Composistion l class that reflect my life choices and personality.
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