Day 8

Wed. Nov. 18

• Share “postcards from the past”; more on form

• Share details from “Uncle Pat”

• Reading by Yichen

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Homework

➤ Begin working on Essay 3

Your “Character in Context” essay is due Monday Nov. 30 in class. It might be a good idea to start working on it, or at least start thinking about what character to write about. (If you’re thinking of writing a journalistic profile and are not sure how to go about it, feel free to contact me — we can talk about it.)

➤ Read “The Man Who Eats” and/or “Mazie” (excerpts)

These are both pretty long, so if your time is limited I’d recommend you focus on the one that matches the genre you’re planning on writing in (“The Man Who Eats” for memoir; “Mazie” for journalism). However, please make sure at least read the first couple pages of each.

As you read, keep your eyes out for these things and try to find at least one of them. Mark them so you’re able to share them in class.

Things to look for:

• Physical description of a character’s appearance

• A list of concrete objects

• An anecdote about a character (something they once did)

• A description of a character’s habits (something they always or often do or did)

• An aphorism that reflects the character’s values or worldview

• Something another character says about that character

• A description of the character acting in a scene (physical action)

• Quotation or dialogue that captures a character’s voice

➤ Write a “Postcard from the Present”

Write a 4-6 sentence paragraph that attempts to capture, as vividly as possible, a moment between now and next class. Make the reader feel “there.” Write in such a way that, if you were to read this postcard ten years from now, you would feel as if you were back in that moment again.

Upload your postcard to our Box folder, and please also be ready to read it aloud next class.