Reflection blog: Read & Respond to "How Do You Grade a Conversation"

While writing i try to stay aware of the fact that i could at anytime lose the readers attention. Therefore i try and make my writing creative and enjoyable to read. This awareness of mine turns out to be a large factor of grading a conversation. But after reading this article i feel that i need to stop having my writings sound like a teenage boy and more like an articulate young man. This reading has made me more aware of how i should write most of my projects. This article was very helpful to me.

Reaction Blog New Orleans

New Orleans is back in shape. The US Army Crops of Engineers has rebuilt the levees and everything is being rebuilt. I have a friend who's friend visited New Orleans recently and he said that New Orleans looks pretty much back to normal. With the exception of some lots here and there that have been vacated. I read on National geographic website that they're expecting a really harsh huricane season this year and that recent inspections have shown that the levees are still weak. I'd be very concerned if I were a New Orleans resident!

Reflection blog: katrina

“The storm came and washed the trash out of New Orleans”

I agree with this quote. I believe the hurricane gave the people of New Orleans a perfect chance to move out. Many residents of New Orleans said that they have a tenancy to hang around generation after generation. The hurricane gave them the perfect chance to escape their roots to the city. The "trash" of New Orleans probably moved out of the city in search of a new stomping ground. This gave the loyal New Orleans people a chance to migrate home to a less harsh homestead. Plus the "trash" probably looted all that they could and bolted to another city before the rest of the residents even began moving back in. I honestly have mixed emotions about this topic, and the more i write about it, the more my opinion changes. But overall i feel that the hurricane did a clean sweep on New Orleans and gave everyone a chance to restart. Theres pro's and con's to this "restart" or "clean slate" we could call it, but in conclusion, if thought about in a positive manner; your still alive and you need to move on.

Persepolis Reading

The reading section from Persepolis is about a girl named Marjane Satrapi. A very religious girl who wanted to be a prophet. What impressed me about Marjane was her attitude towards the revolution and how she was willing to risk her life to have it succeed. I enjoyed this form of memoir, but if i were instructed to do one in this fashion, id have difficulty cause id have so many illustrations to create! Chute's article was a "yawner" but i realize and completely agree with what she said about how comic books are what novel's used to be: a mass appeal. its exactly this reason that id rather read a comic version of a memoir over a normal memoir. But if i were to author one of my own...id stick with the normal form!

Katrina Survivors

Watching the documentation on Katrina and its aftermath made me realize that im GLAD i chose not to write a depressing memoir. My memoir is a lot more optimistic. All the survivors all have their own stories that they tell on the movie. I've done this on my memoir, I've included little stories of experiences that I've partaking in. I'm thankful i didn't have to deal with what they're dealing with, and i feel for them.

7/2 Readings

I've read the class readings this evening and all were grueling. The writing by Mathias was about how he developed a style in which he writes his memoirs. A style that sets him apart from the other Privates in his platoon. In "Knocked Up" there were memories given by Nicole Filmore that would make any teenager feel just as she felt. She told of her sister becoming pregnant and proceeded to the birthday itself, including adolescent opinions and observations that were quite entertaining. Lastly, "Sing with Me Somehow" by Alison Slusarczyk, was a depressing memoir about a drug addicted teen and the support received from her younger sister.

I had different reactions to each of these readings. The writing by Mathias really introduced me, in a complex manner, to how the art of writing memoirs is really a craft that incorporates what historians and novelists do best. Mind boggling to be honest, but i was able to get a firm grasp on the topic after re-reading! Nicole's "knocked up" i found to be a very entertaining memoir that vibes very well with the teenage reader. She includes lots of phrases and curse words that teens are very accustomed to. She also included a technique id like to incorporate into my memoirs. Quoting and making references. Allison's memoir was a very dark story that really showed me again how moving these memoirs can really be.

1. I wonder if Mathias would have been able to produce such a memoir if he'd never thought to write as many notes home as he did?
2. Where did Nichole learn to reference the information she included in her memoir?
3. I wonder if dealing with Allison's sister encouraged her to pursue a career in a field that could help people like her sister?

Reading Blog #1 (cont)

voice your feelings and lets you have a "nervous breakdown" if need be. Experiencing this feelings is very therapeutic.

2. My reaction to these two pieces is one of agreement. I totally believe that saying what you feel, to SOMEONE, is so much better then keeping it within. This is a lesson ive learned for myself recently so i completely support these two pieces.

3. a) im curious as to why its so difficult in the moment to actually bring for these emotions?
b) Why is it so much more difficult to voice these emotions to strangers?
c) Why dont phycologists have all their patients use in written form for all their clients?