Week 8

Good day.  This week's assignment requires you work with  a classmate in a pair or small group. The idea is to create a portrait of one or two of the individuals attending Ai and to bring out something of the shared student experience and  the individual nature of your subject.  As you are yourselves students here, you have that perspective and experience to aid you in the interview or dialogue, which is the first step to creating the student portrait. The Character Profile or study requires you present a "portrait" of an individual.  It includes the  individual's background to some degree and a look into their current endeavors, activities, interests,  ideas and attitudes.  To put it together involves an interview of sorts,  a two-way exchange in which the pair members dialogue to come up with enough information and first-hand impressions to write  the piece. The purpose is to gather and then bring to readers a sense of the background, motivation,  and personality of the students pursuing specific degrees or interests here at AiFL.  It will be a chance  to exchange personal stories, interests and ideas with others.   The focus may be on academic matters  or personal.  The student's particulars should illustrate some central idea, your thesis.  Imagine the audience as students and others in the local community or any who would be interested to learn about the experiences, concerns, and interests of college students today.   Key will be eliciting from your  subject(s) detailed background experience and personal stories that reveal character and personality, and recording it all in such a way readers feel like they are meeting this student in person, seeing and hearing the student gesture and speak.   Some questions to ask to get your subject's story include the following:      *What's this experience or period of your life really about? *What is the emotional truth of your life today? What matters?  *What do you feel good about, uncertain about? *How did you get to this point or place in life? *Describe a past or current struggle in some detail to show the kind of challenge you know best. *Who were the important people in your life? How did they influence or shape you? *What are your near and long term goals? ----------- Notes *Include a brief description of your meeting place, the setting of the interview. *Include notes on the subject's appearance, style, voice and gestures–the face-to-face impressions and image created by your subject.   *Use some quoted speech, something your subject has said that epitomizes or illustrates clearly his or her point of view. Q&A Form      There are two ways of structuring the piece.  One is to introduce the subject in an opening paragraph,  providing context and a lead-in that generates reader interest.  (See the introductory paragraph description  below for more details.)  Imagine a target audience of your peers or some other reader group.  Follow the  introductory paragraph with a transcript of the questions posed to your subject and the responses elicited.   Shape the dialogue so that the  questions and responses, from beginning to end, are expressive of the  subject's history, interests, and future prospects or concluding thoughts on this stage of life.  At the following URL you will see the format demonstrated:  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1644040,00.html Essay Form       The second way of structuring the piece is to summarize much of what you learn from your subject, shape  the main story line around a theme, and illustrate the whole with a few well-chosen quotations from your subject.  The second way is the article or essay form, as described more fully below: In the introductory paragraph, the writer must say something of the personal impressions your subject makes  in a face-to-face meeting. We want readers to feel they are meeting this individual in person; of course the  impressions are those you have drawn in meeting and talking with your subject.   The body paragraph(s) will recount history  and current endeavors, any conflicts or issues the subject is adressing, and how they are being addressed.   The body material is meant to illustrate  the nature of the personality and character of the individual subject.  Again,  the pairs or groups will be talking and exchanging information in an informal flow of give and take as you establish rapport and commonalities and differences. You will take notes on each other, specific background information,  career goals, interests, concerns, etcetera, which later you will incorporate into the essay. You will unfold something  of the life of your subject to illustrate a point about students or student life today.  Your conclusion will bring the presentation back to the central idea, underscoring it, and providing final comments.  You may want to incorporate direct quotation of one or another remark your subject has made, as well, to give some  sense of the individual's actual speech or voice. Dialogue or direct quotation is a dramatic device and draws readers  into the presence of your subject. You may use present or past tense overall. Bringing a sense of the subject individual's physical presence is a means of creating interest and imaginative appeal. Description of hair, eyes, gestures, clothing,  in some brief but telling way will allow readers to actually "see" the subject person as they learn something of the story  he or she embodies in the role of student. The following is part of the opening paragraph of an article about Justin Bieber written by Vanessa Grigoriadias, and published  in Rollingstone(March3, 2011):    Today, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.  I'm flying to Atlanta to interview pop-culture crush, Justin Bieber.  He's only 16, it's true, but half of womankind is in love with him, like Kim Kardashian (who wanted to spend Valentine's Day with a life-size poster of him), Rihanna (who has tweeted about his six-pack) and Katy Perry (who once said, "I would tap that.  Yummy").  To the Biebers, Justing is the most adorable kid in the world.  I've watched his videos  at least a dozen times each, I own two of his three albums and I have him on my Twitter feed . . . . Assignment 7:  A 400-500 word portrait in words of a fellow student.  Use visual description, dialogue, and narrative detail to bring your subject's life into view.  Title the piece.  Double-space the lines.  Due week 9.

10/4/10

by Doyle Writings

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Week 7

What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else. –Joseph Campbell
 

Good day to you all. I hope you had a nice weekend. Today I will pass back the many essays I collected last week.  We will review handouts given last week, with grammar and punctuation practice.  Lastly, we will watch all or part of a film for the purposes of writing to describe character, action, setting, theme, or some combination of the story elements.

A Film Review requires the reviewer put across a clear sense of the story being told or dramatized.  The reviewer summarizes  the action

 that drives the story forward, and the conflict at the heart of the plot events; the characters whose circumstances and actions we follow throughout;  the setting elements generally and as highlighted by specific scenes; and the play of ideas the film puts in motion. 

   A review is unified by the reviewer's opinion of the film's merit, including high notes and low notes, the best and the worst, the strengths and the weaknesses.  The introductory paragraph introduces the film by title and director, and year of release.  

For example:  Adventureland (2009), written and directed by Greg Mottola, is a lyrical, funny, romantic comedy set among a group of eighteen to twentyish suburban kids who work the summer at a down-scale local amusement park and make the best of the opportunity it allows them for love and adventure. 

The names of important characters should be introduced, and, if desired, the name of the particular actor playing the role.  A brief summary of the kind of characters and the action they are caught up in in the film is appropriate.  In a short essay, your focus may be limited to one or two characters, with mere mention of others.  The thesis or central idea of the review/essay should be hinted at if not stated outright in the opening lines.  The body paragraphs should illustrate by means of description of key scenes or events, and the ideas and emotions the film encourages one to take from these scenes and events.

The conclusion should underscore the reviewer's central idea in a fresh way.  Often this emphasis is created by focusing on the climax and conclusion of the film; however, you may focus on a particular or key image of character, setting, or action to make your thesis clear and convincing. Say you find a film beautiful and romantic in its depiction of the saving nature of love; your conclusion would provide reference to some aspect of the the film's actions, characters, or images overall, to convey the impression you felt most strongly.

Essay #6:  Write 350-500 words describing one or more scenes in the film you watch today, The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher, and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook.  Or you may choose from one you may feel more inclined to write about.  Include the title of the film in italic letters, the director and release date, and a summary of the plot and one of the central themes of the film.  The scene you choose to describe should illustrate some point you wish to make about the film story, a character within, representation of setting or place, the nature of the conflict and its dramatic or comedic force, etcetera.  The film is

Week 6

Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day–like writing a poem or saying a prayer. What matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive.

–Anne Morrow Lindbergh, b.1906

Good day. I hope you are feeling well, and that you enjoyed yourself over the  weekend.

Today we have several things to do:  review the essay work assigned last– using process description or cause/effect as means of approach and organization;  review the use of conditional and subjunctive verb tense and go on to address some matters of pronoun use, comparisons using adjectives and review of the use of summary and quotation.  Finally, I will have you write a short essay in class on one of the topics listed below.

. . . . . . .

Midterm essay:  compose a one-paragraph essay of about 200 words. The main idea or topic sentence should be clear. Readers expect you to make a clear point and not to wonder if they have missed something.  If the main idea is stated directly (explicitly) in the essay,  underline it. If it is implicit (i.e. not stated anywhere but clearly implied from all you've written), write it below the finished essay. The bulk of the paragraph should develop the topic idea by means of description, specific details and examples, brief narration, commentary and observation (your thoughts on the matter), and so on.  Provide enough support to carry your point well.  The opening sentence should provide a smooth lead-in and/or statement of the essay's central idea (topic idea). The final sentences should be winding up the discussion to provide a sense of finish. 

Title the essay.

Here are the prompts for the essay, with the final one open to your own inclinations. Choose only one of the topics. Remember, you will have one major point to make and support, building the essay around this point (topic or thesis).

1. Walking Home–description and narration.

2. An unwelcome guest–description and narration.

3. A challenging moment–description and narration.

4. A healthy diet–what that means.

5. Going out on a limb–the risks and rewards.

6. An inspiring person or idea.

7. A recent discovery.

8. Any topic you would like to explore in this one-paragraph essay.

I will collect the papers at the end of the class. Do not use the Internet for content in this essay.

Homework Exercise: In a paragraph (or more), you are to explore a hypothetical situation, which will require using the subjunctive mood and conditional (modal) tense forms.  Imagine that you had been born under or into circumstances other than those you were born into; for example, a different place and/or historical era, a different family, a different body (or species), and so on.  Describe what your childhood would have been like, what your present life might be like, and what you imagine happening in your future in these changed circumstances.

     You might start in this way:  Had I been born an only child, instead of being born the fifth child of six, I might have got more attention than I did.  I might have been spoiled!  My parents, particularly my mother, had little time and attention to spare, afterall . . .

Review the class handout and verb tense sequencing here:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/1/ and here:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/07/

Week 5

Everything speaks. –James Joyce Good day to you all. I hope you had a nice weekend.       Today we will continue work on summary and use of quotation.  We will also practice the use of subjunctive and conditional verb tense in an extended passage.  There will be no homework essay this week,  but there will be a midterm given in class next week, week 6.   So today we can take some time to consolidate some of the skills and  principles of composition introduced thus far. Here's to a good day!   Homework Exercise: In a paragraph (or more),  explore a hypothetical situation, which will  require using the subjunctive mood and conditional (modal) tense forms.  Imagine that you had been born under or into circumstances other than those you were born into; for example,  a different place and/or historical era, a different family, a different body (or species), and so on.  Describe what your childhood would have been like, what your present life might be like, and what you imagine happening in your future in these changed circumstances.      You might start in this way:  Had I been born an only child, instead of being born the fifth child of six,  I might have got more attention than I did.  I might have been spoiled!  My parents, particularly my mother, had little time and attention to spare, afterall . . . Review the class handout and verb tense sequencing here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/1/ and here:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/07/

Week 4

Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day–like writing a poem or saying a prayer. What matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive.–Anne Morrow Lindbergh, b.1906

There are modes of developing and arranging information, and we have looked at three thus far: narration, description, and examples or illustration.  Several other commonly used means include definition, process analysis, cause and effect analysis, and comparison/contrast.  

     The process mode of organization is used when explaining how a thing happens or is done or made.  It includes description of the steps, stages, or procedures involved in any natural occurrence or phenomenon, or in any that involve human endeavor.  Such writing addresses the question how?  For example, how do bees find their way to the hive, how does photosynthesis work, how does one change a tire on a steeply ascending road, make a cheesecake or keep houseplants alive and happy? 

     We all, to some degree, understand how things proceed, and can describe the procedures by which things get done or made. We have followed directions and read instructions from a young age and we have learned how to do a thing or two ourselves; in fact, there are certain skills we could actually teach: how to saddle a horse, how to sweep a floor, build a boat or house, sew a hem, design an advertisement, paint with oil colors.  There are certain life experiences we could coach others through; for example, we have all experienced pain, sadness, and loss and so have learned a thing or two about healing, happiness, getting along, starting over.  The stages or steps involved in bettering our health, our outlook, our lives in general always involve a specific method, a means, a process. 


Examples:  
One holds the [surgical] knife as one holds the bow of a cello or a tulip–by the stem. Not palmed nor gripped nor grasped, but lightly, with the tips of the fingers. The knife is not for pressing. It is for drawing across the field of skin. Like a slender fish, it waits, at the ready, then, go! It darts, followed by a fine wake of red. The flesh parts, falling away to yellow globules of fat. Even now, after so many times, I still marvel at its power–cold, gleaming, silent. More, I am still struck with a kind of dread that it is I in whose hand the blade travels, that my hand is its vehicle, that yet again this terrible steel-bellied thing and I have conspired for a most unnatural purpose, the laying open of the body of a human being.

from "The Knife," by Richard Seltzer

Wear loose and comfortable clothing when working out. Because a warmed muscle is believed to be more flexible and pliant, you will often see people wearing sweat suits and woolen socks. You should also be sure to position yourself as comfortably as possible to reduce the tension and make the stretching more enjoyable.                 –from The Science of Stretching, by Michael Alter

When a farmer calls in a cheetah capture, it is CCF's job to retrieve the animal from a field trap, gather biological information, and then relocate or release it. Normally the work is done in the field and not in a farmer's kitchen. Until last night, there had not been a call in a month–proof that that farmers are learning to co-exist with cheetahs rather than to shoot first and ask questions later.

from "Blur: Cheetahs. Ranchers. Hope.," by Susan Zimmerman

For centuries, it was assumed that honey bees simply visited flowers and collected the honey ready-made, bringing it back to the hive and storing it there. The truth of the matter is that honey making is an elaborate and complicated process. The first step is the collection of floral nectar from the gullets of colorful and fragrant blossoms. Floral nectar starts out as sugar water enriched with a few amino acids, proteins, lipids, phenolics, and other chemicals. While it sits in floral ponds, waiting to be sampled by pollinators, the nectar takes on the aroma of the flowers that produced it. Though the scent of the nectar itself is faint, the aromas are intensified once it is concentrated into honey. Excess water is driven off and the complex volatile oils and other chemicals from the flower are magnified, becoming part of the honey and adding to its appeal. Single-source honeys reveal their characteristic aromas best at room temperature, especially when drizzled across a warm piece of toast.

                  —from Secrets of the Bee

     Cause and effect mode sets out to explore the probable reasons why certain events, actions, or manifestations occur or have occurred, and the effects or consequences of these happenings.  We may explore why we behave in a certain way or the effects of certain kinds of behavior on ourselves and others.  We may explore the sources of our satisfactions, for instance, as causes.  We may look at all manner of natural and social phenomena whose causes or effects interest us.  Why are flowers brightly colored?  Why do birds sing?  Why do young animals play?  Why do humans make war?  What effects do our lifestyle choices have on our environment? And what effects have the  decisions of policy makers (who decide whether, for instance, gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry) and powerful corporations (whose industry practices may harm or hurt us)?   Bear in mind, a short paper should be limited to either cause or effect, rather than both.  

Examples:         


There are few things humans are more dedicated to than unhappiness.  Had we been placed on earth by a malign creator for the exclusive purpose of suffering, we would have good reason to congratulate ourselves on our enthusiastic response to the task.  Reasons to be inconsolable abound:  the frailty of our bodies, the fickleness of love, the insincerities of social life, the compromises of friendship, the deadening effects of habit.  In the face of such persistent ills, we might naturally expect that no event would be awaited with greater anticipation than the moment of our own extinction.

                             —Alain De Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life

    

      The fundamental pathology of Alzheimer's disease is the progressive degeneration and loss of vast numbers of nerve cells in those portions of the brain's cortex that are associated with the so-called higher functions, such as memory, learning, and judgment.  The severity and nature of the patient's dementia at any given time are proportional to the number and location of cells that have been affected.  The decrease in in nerve-cell population is in itself sufficient to explain the memory loss and other cognitive disabilities, but there is another factor that seems to play a role as well–namely, a marked decrease in acetylcholine, the chemical used by these cells to transmit messages.

                — Sherwin B. Nuland, How We Die

     Contemplating our food for a few seconds before eating and eating in mindfulness can bring us much happiness.  In our practice centers, we use the Five Contemplations as a way of reminding ourselves where our food comes from and its purpose.

      The first contemplation is being aware that our food comes directly from the earth and the sky.   It is a gift of the earth and the sky, and also of the people who prepared it.  The second contemplation is about being worthy of the food we eat.  The way to be worthy of our food is to eat mindfully—to be aware of its presence and thankful for having it.  We cannot allow ourselves to get lost in our worries, fears, or anger over the past or the future.  We are there for the food because the food is there for us; it is only fair.  Eat in mindfulness, and you will be worthy of the earth and the sky.

     The third contemplation is about becoming aware of our negative tendencies and not allowing them to carry us away.  We need to learn how to eat in moderation, to eat the right amount of food.  The bowl that is used by a monk or a nun is referred to as the "instrument of appropriate measure."  It is very important not to overeat.  If you eat slowly and chew very carefully, you will get plenty of of nutrition.  The right amount of food is the amount that helps us to stay healthy.

     The fourth contemplation is about the quality of our food.  We are determined to ingest only food that has no toxins for our body and our consciousness, food that keeps us healthy and nourishes our compassion.  This is mindful eating.  The Buddha said that if you eat in such a way that compassion is destroyed in you, it is like eating the flesh of your children.  So practice eating in such a way that you can keep compassion alive in you.

    The fifth contemplation is being aware that we receive food in order to realize something.  Our lives should have meaning and that meaning is to help people suffer less, and help them to touch the joys of life.  When we have compassion in our hearts and know that we are able to help a person suffer less, life begins to have more meaning.  This is very important food for us and can bring us a lot of joy.  A single person is capable of helping may living beings.  And it is something we can do anywhere.

                                        —Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness

Approaches to Take :

1) Freewrite:  Make a list of all the things you can do.  Zero in on those you feel most "expert" at doing, or those you are only now learning to do.  Write to describe these skills.

2)  Free associate. Imagine the times and places and people associated with the particular "processes" so that you have some context and entertaining anecdotes.

3) Choose from the list a subject for description in process mode.

Break the process down into its constituent steps or stages.  Compose an interesting lead-in paragraph to stimulate a reader's interest in your subject.

Or:

1)  Brainstorm and/or research the causes or effects of a recent event or habitually observed phenomenon, for example, the protests going on in Egypt, climate change, obesity, spring, summer, fall, or winter in the northern hemisphere, the red-orange hues produced at sunset, the blue of the sky.   Then use that information in an essay that affords readers your consideration of the relevance and interest of the subject matter. 

Assignment #4: In a step-by-step or stage-by-stage description show the means by which some thing or another happens or gets done, made, or developed. Alternatively,  discuss the known or probable cause or effect of some particular occurrence, as of a current or ongoing political or economic crisis, disease, pollution, Facebook . . . or happiness, kindness, regular exercise, a healthy diet.  Write at least 350 words, using an introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. Title the essay. Double space the lines.

In Addition, summarize in 200 words "The Food Bomb," by Barry Lando, posted at Truthdig.com.  Use a single paragraph, third person point of view (no use of "I" or first person), and provide one or two direct quotations in support.  Include the title, author, place and date of publication.  The following paragraph may serve as a model for getting started: 
 

In “The Food Bomb,” by Barry Lando, published Feb.1, 2011, at Truthdig.com, he explores the food crisis that is contributing to social and political unrest in many parts of the world.   According to the author, “The world will need 70 percent more food in 2050 than it produced in 2000.”  However, there has been no great investment in agriculture and “resources are plummeting.” 

Grammar Practice: Review verb work and introduce pronoun use guidelines for practice.

Do the following exercise/practice work:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/2/22/49

Review the material on pronoun use here:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/595/01/

and here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/595/02/