An interesting argument against explaining your reportage and using first person in nonfiction narrative from Roy Peter Clark at Poynter.

"When we read a novel, watch a movie, see a play, if things go well, we don’t just watch an imitation of life — we enter into it. The author, like the magician, has created an illusion. The lights dim, the curtain opens, images flash on the screen and we are transported, most often to another place and another time.

"By now, most of us understand the engineering of this effect. It comes from scenic construction, from character details, from dialogue, from the variation of points of view, from time in motion, all the strategies of fiction that Tom Wolfe argued could be borrowed by the responsible reporter."

Also, note that Tom French makes an argument that nonfiction narrative is harder to write than fiction. What do you think?

Reading for next (7th) week

I've asked Aaron Aupperlee K'06, crime reporter for the Jackson Citizen Patriot and our class guest next week, to select some of his own stories for us to read as well as some of his favorite narrative journalism. So, please read the following stories of his:

Mother who beat cancer walks miles every week to support son who is heading to prison
Grass Lake teens paralyzed in separate accidents form friendship in hospital
Life on Chittock: Plenty of eyes watch Chittock Avenue, and there is plenty to watch

In addition, read:

The Marriage Cure: Is Wedlock Really a Way Out of Poverty? By Katherine Boo, New America Foundation, from a 2003 New Yorker magazine, and
this 2006 Pulitzer prize-winning three-part series by David Finkel, last fall's summer common reading author, in which he followed a U.S.-funded program to encourage democracy in Yemen.

Aaron also wants us to read The Road is Very Unfair by Ted Conover from Literary Journalism, but I think it might be too much reading on top of pieces from Saskia and Tanj, and Emily G and Maggie. If either of you pairs would like to choose that piece as your CYOA, please feel free!

Also, remember that 8th week Dr. Gail Griffin will be visiting class so we can discuss her extraordinary book "The Events of October." I encourage you to begin reading that if you haven't already.

And of course, keep working on reporting and revising those profiles!

Groups for Profile Workshop

Remember: we pushed the deadline for drafts posted on blogs to Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Group 1:
Saskia
Tanj
Elaine
Alaina
Ellen
Emily
Emily
Julia.

Group 2:
Paul
Amanda
Stephanie
Cam
Jordan
Maggie
Elaine E.

This time around Maureen will work with group 1 and I'll work with group 2.

Happy reporting, writing, and reading!

Some examples of audio slideshows for you to check out

Here's the One in Eight Million package from the New York Times. Spend some time with it. Let it inspire you. It's pretty astounding in its power. Some profiles more than others. Figure out why and make it work for your projects. Here's the first in another series from the New York Times on Iraq Vets who return home wounded. It's different in that there are full stories with audio slideshows to complement the stories. In some ways, this is more like what you'll be doing. And the multimedia part is not as polished or highly produced as the One in Eight Million pieces. This link goes straight to the multimedia, but make sure to read the accompanying stories. I encourage you to spend time looking around for other examples that excite and inspire you. The New York Times, I believe, is a leader in this kind of work. Many other online papers are doing it too.

Assignments due 4th week

Read:
From Literary Journalism--Trina and Trina, LeBlanc (209) and The American Man Age Ten, Orlean (97)
From Telling True Stories--pages 17-74
CYOAs from Ellen and Jordan, Amanda and Cam

Write:
Post on Blogs--Franklin Outline and Personal Essay Revision; Story Pitch; Reading Response

ALSO . . . please email your personal essay revision as a WORD attachment to me at heinritz@kzoo.edu (so I can grade/edit using track changes and email it back to you).

Worshop Guidelines

A significant part of this course focuses on writing workshops. Their purpose is to help you improve your writing through balanced feedback and criticism from your peers, but perhaps more importantly, to help you become a fair critic, learning how to give specific, constructive criticism of others’ work in a way that is appropriate and helpful. The workshops will also help you go “public” with your work, in preparation for (and with the expectation of) publication. You will also be given a chance to discuss the workshop and ask questions of the group about your work.

We will workshop the first two assignments in two groups. We will workshop the final pieces in one large group. Work is to be published on your blog the Monday before the workshop at 5 p.m. Each group member is responsible for getting his or her piece published on time, reading and thoroughly preparing each piece for workshop by class on Wednesday. Students are expected to have read each piece and formulated substantiated opinions and arguments ahead of time, writing a 200-word response to each piece BEFORE workshop. The more you give, the more you get.

The ultimate goal of the workshops is to provide a helpful arena, a safe space in which to strike a balance between encouragement and guidance. Even though workshops should help you become better writers as much as they help improve the specific pieces of writing, workshops are always about the writing, not about the writers per se. It must be about the work, not the person.


General Rules:

1.Everyone’s work deserves and receives equal time and equal respect. Each member of the class is an artist in training; each text will be looked at as potential literature. At the same time, everyone’s writing can be improved.

2.Everyone participates. Attendance during workshops is mandatory. Absence during workshop or failure to turn in a draft for workshop will result in the assignment’s grade reduced by one letter.


Here’s how it goes:

1.The writer reads a few paragraphs of the piece aloud.

2.The group speaks about the piece as if the writer weren’t in the room, addressing comments about the text to each other.

3.The writer being critiqued listens rather than actively participating, writing down what the group says without evaluating the comments—that comes later.

4.When the workshop is completed, the writer is given an opportunity to ask questions of clarification, but not defend the work to the group.

5.The writer thanks her or his colleagues for their thoughtful critique.


The specific guidelines:

Each piece of writing should be closely looked at for the following:

1.The lede—does it grab the reader’s attention? Does it give insight into character or indicate theme? Does it effectively lead into the story?

2.The nut—(aka theme) does the writing clearly show the “so what” of the piece? Does it answer why the reader should care?

3.The middle—does it move? Where does your attention as a reader die? What could be done to keep the middle moving? Are the boring but important details interspersed with strong quotes and anecdotes?

4.The kicker—is there a memorable ending? Does it suit the piece in tone and style? Does it echo the lede? Should it?

5.Structure—does the order of information presented make sense? Is it engaging?

6.Character—are characters clearly delineated? Does the writing show character through actions and choices rather than rely heavily on telling?


On a deeper level, ask the following of each piece of writing:

1.What is the piece really about? Go beyond the subject to the meaning.

2.What is the focus? Is there a clear angle to make the storytelling stance narrower, more specific? Is it too general, or too specific?

3.Is there a unifying theme weaving the logical line throughout the narrative?

4.Are there any patterns, any turning points?

5.What anecdotes are most memorable? Would any of them be a more effective lede or kicker?

6.What is the point? Is it made effectively or perhaps artfully?

CYOA, dinner, and workshop group lineups

Congratulations on week one down! As agreed to in class, workshop groups for the personal essay assignment are as follows:

Group 1
Ellen
Emily
Emily
Maggie
Jordan
Stephanie
Cam
Tanj

Group 2
Paul
Alaina
Elaine
Elaine
Julia
Amanda
Saskia

CYOA

Week 3: Alaina and Julia, Elaine E and Emily
Week 4: Ellen and Jordan, Amanda and Cam
Week 5: Paul and Maureen, Stephanie and Elaine C
Week 7: Saskia and Tanj, Emily G and Maggie

Dinner

Week 2: Ellen and Jordan
Week 3: Emily T and Elaine E
Week 4: Tanj and Saskia
Week 5: Emily G and Maggie
Week 6: Paul and Stephanie
Week 7: Elaine C and Alaina
Week 8: Amanda and Cam
Week 9: Marin
Week 10: Julia and Saskia
Exam week: potluck

We decided that everyone will bring their own dishes and cutlery and Marin will provide coffee and half and half.

Bring it on! This is going to be a great quarter!