Fringes Of Nonfiction 2021

Hello everyone! Here are some of my thoughts after reading the assigned materials for this week  First of all, I really enjoyed reading Guerrero's story about her father, specifically her methods of talking mental health and connecting it to how easy people are tricked into misinformation especially now that we have the Internet and all sorts of social media applications and smart devices. Prior to reading this essay, it never crossed my mind how our world that is abundant with (literally) free knowledge everywhere would affect individuals who struggle with mental health disorders, particularly schizophrenia. Guerrero really broadened my perspective on a lot of aspects regarding mental health issues.  Besides that, I absolutely loved how instead of dismissing his father's claims that he was being watched, she decided to look into her father’s alleged misconducts and started a full on investigation about it. However, when I read the essay I had trouble finding out which detail ...

For BJ's pitches, one thing that sticks out to me is how each pitch ends. The pitch for "When Life Gives You Lemons, Water the Tomatoes" ends with the line "Still, we water, we weed, we try." Ending your pitch with a resonating statement like this makes it feel memorable and powerful. This feature really emphasizes to me that the author has been turning this idea around in their mind, not that they are just thinking of an essay topic as they crank out the pitch. What is a detail that you've noticed that makes pitches feel well-thought-out, powerful, or a detail that conveys that the author is a strong writer? Looking at Samantha Kobs' Visual/Voice episode with Volume One, I found this to be a really interesting example of what you can do with nonfiction. Gone are the expectations of an essay in print, but we are now approaching the "fringes of nonfiction!" Seeing the author and their mannerisms, hearing their tone of voice, and the way that the...

  Growing up in the public school system, I learned to be quite good at following direct instruction. That is to say, I appreciated Susan Shapiro's many numbered lists for tips and tricks to writing a personal essay. Shapiro assigned her students to write about a humiliating time in their life, and this prompt proved successful (a handful went on to be published). Shaprio points out that no one wants to hear about how great your life is; they will get bored after the first paragraph and give up, or have hostile reactions to your seemingly perfect life. This leads me to wonder, can happiness sell? Do people want to hear about the good in life if it is not accompanied with struggle, loss, or heartache? Shapiro spends a lot of time discussing topics to consider or throw out, seeming to land on these humiliation stories, or these moments of absurdity, are what sell. Life is full of cliches that are easy and compelling to fall into; it often seems like the safest option, but it is also ...