When it comes right down to it, the question should be asked, who would you rather spend time with, the know-it-all or the comedian?
Israel
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Not so pretentious
Randall Silvis masterfully engages the reader through humor and simple prose to drive valuable writing techniques. It's reminded me very much of the first piece we first blogged on, George Orwell's Politics and the English Language. Both often such wonderful advice for budding and even experienced writers. Both present equally important advices, however, what is noticeably different is the tone in which they engage the reader. While Orwell's overall tone can come off as a bit pretentious, Silvis' voice is very humorous.
"10 Easy Steps..." by Randall Silvis
This article was a great read, especially for aspiring writers. It gave valid and logical suggestions, while presenting them in a light and easy to read way. I love writing, I'll never stop whether I ever get published or not. There is something to it that soothes and heals me, much like Silvis said. Of course, if I never get published, I'll never get paid either, which is why I would like to pursue a teaching career. Silvis advised against it, but I've always seen myself as a teacher, I like the idea of it. Hopefully I will like the reality of it some day as well. I also love reading. It may be cliche but I love the fact that I can loose myself and all of my problems for just a little while, when reading a good book. If reading will make me a better writer like Silvis says, then there is all the more reason for me to enjoy it. Overall, I liked Silvis' article, it was humorous and honest.
I want be writer - Sheldon Benjamin
I really like this article. It actually reminded me a lot of the book I read The Sense of An Ending because a lot of the book dealt with having an ordinary life. The boys in the story were jealous of the one boy who came from a broken home because his life had narrative pull. Their lives were boring and not worth of story telling because if literature had taught them anything, it's that things worth writing down were extraordinary. Many times we complain about our abnormalities or our disconnect from society and the "norm" but according to this, that which makes us different, makes us worth talking about and gives us a story to tell. He brings us an interesting point about always writing things down and being a "human tape recorder." His honesty in step 5 is appreciated but most writers or aspiring writers go into the field recognizing the lack of stability in the profession. BUT he provides a solution. The practical escape is through another profession. Overall, I really enjoyed this article and the writer gives some wonderful advice that really applies to many different aspects of life, not just writing.
Blog 10 by Ruthie Heavrin
There is a sense of regret and pain in Randall Silvis' article, "10 Easy Steps to Becoming a Writer." The first paragraph tells about a student who complained of his teaching methods and claimed that Silvis was withholding the secrets of being published. This article feels like more of a rebuttal than a reaction paper as it makes the writer into a genre of their own - an elite per-say. Also, the author shows pain in step 3. This step suggests that a person must experience the world before they can write and even hints that no one under 25 could be at that level. Perhaps he felt that student has yet to experience a little more outside of himself and the university.
The voice's sense of regret comes through the suggestions he makes and even says that he learned the hard way for many of the steps. Step five, which is to Embrace Poverty, says that academia is the worst place for a writer to thrive, yet Silvis is a professor himself.
With the emotions and back story to the side, the steps are surprisingly true. A reader can tell if the writer knows what their talking about or if they have passion for their characters and/or topic. As most readers know, an author's life and experiences affects almost everything about their writing. That's why a person who lives life, falls in love, works with interesting people all day,and notices the absurdities of life will write more intriguing books despite the topic of genre. There are plenty of scientific and mathematical books that have been written in charming, creative, and entertaining ways.
According to Silvis, writing boils down to one thing: life. So just write it.
More Advice for Writers
Out of all the advice articles I've read in the various writing classes I've taken, Silvis' list was the most entertaining and brought several I had never heard before.
Step one made me laugh because I realized it has to be true. Everyone has some degree of strangeness to them or abnormality, writers just need to be more aware of it in themselves and in others. Those quirks are what make good stories, whether in a fictional or non-fictional setting.
Though he titles step 3, 'Live Life,' I thought his final sentence in it was the real takeaway: Keep your senses ray and your third eye open. It's what writers have to do and is very much related to step 4. We have to put ourselves out there and experience as much as we can as writers and then write it all down or store it in our conscious mind permanently.
It was a little harsh when Silvis' says that "nobody reads anymore." It's sad to think about, but it is true in a general sense. I did appreciate, though, his advice on what other jobs there are for someone who wants to write but needs to pay the bills (and eat). The irony, though, was that he said teaching was the least helpful profession a writer could pursue while Silvis' is, himself, a teacher.
What I liked about the remaining steps was that Silvis wasn't afraid to admit his own mistakes. It made him a reliable source, so when he tells us that teaching is a bad idea and putting writing before love is a worse idea, you want to listen because you know he's learned it the hard way.
And unlike the other articles about writing we've read this quarter, Silvis' tells you to keep dreaming, but stay disciplined and work for it. He isn't nice about the realities of the publishing world, though he reminds us that it's still worth it as long as there's a chance, no matter how small.
Justyne Marin
Step one made me laugh because I realized it has to be true. Everyone has some degree of strangeness to them or abnormality, writers just need to be more aware of it in themselves and in others. Those quirks are what make good stories, whether in a fictional or non-fictional setting.
Though he titles step 3, 'Live Life,' I thought his final sentence in it was the real takeaway: Keep your senses ray and your third eye open. It's what writers have to do and is very much related to step 4. We have to put ourselves out there and experience as much as we can as writers and then write it all down or store it in our conscious mind permanently.
It was a little harsh when Silvis' says that "nobody reads anymore." It's sad to think about, but it is true in a general sense. I did appreciate, though, his advice on what other jobs there are for someone who wants to write but needs to pay the bills (and eat). The irony, though, was that he said teaching was the least helpful profession a writer could pursue while Silvis' is, himself, a teacher.
What I liked about the remaining steps was that Silvis wasn't afraid to admit his own mistakes. It made him a reliable source, so when he tells us that teaching is a bad idea and putting writing before love is a worse idea, you want to listen because you know he's learned it the hard way.
And unlike the other articles about writing we've read this quarter, Silvis' tells you to keep dreaming, but stay disciplined and work for it. He isn't nice about the realities of the publishing world, though he reminds us that it's still worth it as long as there's a chance, no matter how small.
Justyne Marin
10 Easy Steps to Becoming a Writer
I think out of all the readings that we had this quarter, this one (apart from Sedaris because he is a comedic writer) was the funniest one. Each of the 10 steps were funnier than the last, and at the same time something to really live by if you have plans of becoming a writer.
The first step dealt with being born strange. To my family, having a thirst for knowledge and school is something abnormal, especially since none of them ever went to college. Plus, there is also the fact that I have no ideas of marriage and such, which they consider very weird that I am still single without any children. To society, I may be a normal human being, a girl with middle child syndrome. But to my parents and family, I am a freak.
Step two: Read everything. I keep hearing too much of this, which is making me glad that I made me a summer reading list. That way, I can keep up with authors that are successfully published.
Step three: Live Life. If I could, I would. I would explore every aspect of the world, travel everywhere taste everything! Unfortunately, I have monetary limitations, and my parents disapprove of my departures when I do not return that same night. Not to mention I have no real love life.
Step four: Become a human tape recorder. I may not be much for paying attention to people, but I have every disney movie recorded internally in my memory. If anyone needed a line from a disney movie, I'm the girl they should call up.
Step five: Embrace Poverty. It's one of those things that makes me say, "why yes I am an author," to my parents in which they just look at me as though I wasted four years in school majoring in something that will not help me in the long run. I know I need another job other than being a writer. And looking into it through grad schools and such.
Step six: Learn as much as you can, which is good because I want to go into graduate schools with teaching internships. Fingers crossed.
Step seven: Cultivate discipline. I thought the intimacy of how he sacrificed love for another love was interesting, and made me wonder whether or not that predicament of choosing someone or something. But it was good advice to take discipline. Whether or not he regrets taking one choice over the other is unclear.
Step eight: Remain aware of your imperfection. I am a woman with red cheeks, overweight, and knee problems. Imperfection has plagued me since day one!
Step nine: Wake up and dream. I remain hopeful that I can publish both a novel for adults as well as young adults. I will try as many times as J.K. Rowling herself if I have to!
Step ten: stay hungry. At first, I thought that this was meant in a literal sense, you know the whole starving artist cliche. But to hunger for writing, a metaphorical sense. Truly, it is great advice, because without that desire, where will we be?
Kathy Zinzun
The first step dealt with being born strange. To my family, having a thirst for knowledge and school is something abnormal, especially since none of them ever went to college. Plus, there is also the fact that I have no ideas of marriage and such, which they consider very weird that I am still single without any children. To society, I may be a normal human being, a girl with middle child syndrome. But to my parents and family, I am a freak.
Step two: Read everything. I keep hearing too much of this, which is making me glad that I made me a summer reading list. That way, I can keep up with authors that are successfully published.
Step three: Live Life. If I could, I would. I would explore every aspect of the world, travel everywhere taste everything! Unfortunately, I have monetary limitations, and my parents disapprove of my departures when I do not return that same night. Not to mention I have no real love life.
Step four: Become a human tape recorder. I may not be much for paying attention to people, but I have every disney movie recorded internally in my memory. If anyone needed a line from a disney movie, I'm the girl they should call up.
Step five: Embrace Poverty. It's one of those things that makes me say, "why yes I am an author," to my parents in which they just look at me as though I wasted four years in school majoring in something that will not help me in the long run. I know I need another job other than being a writer. And looking into it through grad schools and such.
Step six: Learn as much as you can, which is good because I want to go into graduate schools with teaching internships. Fingers crossed.
Step seven: Cultivate discipline. I thought the intimacy of how he sacrificed love for another love was interesting, and made me wonder whether or not that predicament of choosing someone or something. But it was good advice to take discipline. Whether or not he regrets taking one choice over the other is unclear.
Step eight: Remain aware of your imperfection. I am a woman with red cheeks, overweight, and knee problems. Imperfection has plagued me since day one!
Step nine: Wake up and dream. I remain hopeful that I can publish both a novel for adults as well as young adults. I will try as many times as J.K. Rowling herself if I have to!
Step ten: stay hungry. At first, I thought that this was meant in a literal sense, you know the whole starving artist cliche. But to hunger for writing, a metaphorical sense. Truly, it is great advice, because without that desire, where will we be?
Kathy Zinzun
Yet Another List
Randall Silvis brings us yet another list, a "10 Easy Steps to Becoming a Writer." If we compiled all of theses and similar lists, we'd have a few thousand "simple steps" to writing. That doesn't sound so easy to me.
What makes lists like these valuable is that they're not absolute, and that they're not completely right. These lists are anecdotes, mere collections of "here's what worked for me." If writing were a science and had a foolproof checklist one could go through and mark off, it wouldn't be an art.
Because of that very fallibility of lists for writing, I like them. They are more helpful, I'd say, than something I know to be completely empirical and fact-based.
Silvis' first rule of advice: "Be born strange, weird, abnormal, or any combination of those" is both a humorous and very real and impossible piece of advice. It not only points out some of the avenues that lead to great stories, but it goes a step further and okays our oddities, even indirectly praising them as a sort of black gold of writing.
This list, I must admit, is the best one I've seen. At least when it comes to writing. It's humorous, but true. Helpful, too, I'd bet. Of course, I haven't had enough time with these tips to see any changes in my writing, but I want to keep this one on hand. This would even be fun to list and hang behind your desk, where you can see it while you sip tea, listen to jazz/classical music, and pull out your hair while trying to get that perfect paragraph.
My favorite tip, by far, is step 3: "Live life." This is the mantra that passes through your head and makes you get into that stranger's car, or sit next to that homeless man, or order your food by clucking and mooing because the restaurant owners in that other country don't speak English. This tip isn't just good for writing, either. It's good for education, for experience, for roundness, for being whole. This tip, if you follow it, may not make you rich. But when you start sharing the stories that are important to you, the stories that you chose to live instead of read about, you won't care one bit.
-Alexander Hirata
What makes lists like these valuable is that they're not absolute, and that they're not completely right. These lists are anecdotes, mere collections of "here's what worked for me." If writing were a science and had a foolproof checklist one could go through and mark off, it wouldn't be an art.
Because of that very fallibility of lists for writing, I like them. They are more helpful, I'd say, than something I know to be completely empirical and fact-based.
Silvis' first rule of advice: "Be born strange, weird, abnormal, or any combination of those" is both a humorous and very real and impossible piece of advice. It not only points out some of the avenues that lead to great stories, but it goes a step further and okays our oddities, even indirectly praising them as a sort of black gold of writing.
This list, I must admit, is the best one I've seen. At least when it comes to writing. It's humorous, but true. Helpful, too, I'd bet. Of course, I haven't had enough time with these tips to see any changes in my writing, but I want to keep this one on hand. This would even be fun to list and hang behind your desk, where you can see it while you sip tea, listen to jazz/classical music, and pull out your hair while trying to get that perfect paragraph.
My favorite tip, by far, is step 3: "Live life." This is the mantra that passes through your head and makes you get into that stranger's car, or sit next to that homeless man, or order your food by clucking and mooing because the restaurant owners in that other country don't speak English. This tip isn't just good for writing, either. It's good for education, for experience, for roundness, for being whole. This tip, if you follow it, may not make you rich. But when you start sharing the stories that are important to you, the stories that you chose to live instead of read about, you won't care one bit.
-Alexander Hirata
Monday, June 11, 2012
Randall Silvis: Reflection
I like this work. It outlines some simple steps that sound hard to do, but that make sense for all writers to follow. The first four steps could be summed up: We have to go out into the world to experience, learn, and then write about it. From there, he goes on to explain different aspects of the writer's career that I haven't thought about before. Each step is carefully explained to include creativity and open-mindedness, the arts of poverty and breaking rules, and humility among others. It's a very useful piece of work that I'd like to keep somewhere I can glance at each morning, just to remind myself of the things I should be doing but for some reason am not.
Idida Z. Casado
I have most of these criteria already.
I will make it short. My dad always tells me that I am crazy. Then he compares me to one of the most successful writers of Korea, saying that I will be like him someday. Should I consider this as a compliment or criticism? Well, after reading this piece, I decided to take it as a compliment.
Surprisingly, I have most of these characteristics already. My life was an epic roller coaster with little money, I started reading when I was 2, mastered Korean reading at age 5 and always used my crazy memory to remember and recreate things for my world of stories in my head. I daydream for at least 12 hours a day and am always hungry. I just need to graduate, get a job and live my life. Am I not ready to become a real writer?
Hae-Lim Lee
Surprisingly, I have most of these characteristics already. My life was an epic roller coaster with little money, I started reading when I was 2, mastered Korean reading at age 5 and always used my crazy memory to remember and recreate things for my world of stories in my head. I daydream for at least 12 hours a day and am always hungry. I just need to graduate, get a job and live my life. Am I not ready to become a real writer?
Hae-Lim Lee
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Writing is not just about the writing
When I tell people my major I get one of 2 reactions.
1. Oh, so you’re going to teach?
OR
2. Oh, that sounds so easy.
Thank you, Randall Silvis, for pointing out that writing is not easy. Just because it doesn’t require the same skill sets for writing as it does for studying science or playing music doesn’t mean that writing isn’t difficult. If it was easy we wouldn’t have a dwindling literary market and everyone would be an author. Creative, intriguing plot lines and characters are challenging enough—forget about the spirit breaking requirement of revising! Writing is not just about writing—it’s about inspiration, connection, commitment, and having something to say.
I really connected with this piece because Silvis was giving good advice, but incorporating humor and a light tone. Steps 1, 3, and 4 were my favorite. Step 1—Bestrange? Check. Who wants to read about a boring, perfect normal family? (what is “normal” anyway?) People want the drama, the gossip, and the emotion. My favorite novels are the ones that make me cry. If a book can make me show physical emotion—tears or laughter, it’s a good book. Step 3 about living life made me laugh. While Silvis obviously didn’t literally mean standing in traffic, I appreciated his advice about going out and getting experience to write about things. I’m always inspired when I go on trips. I bring writing material with me because for some reason, that’s when the magic happens. Sometimes it’s not even about the place I am or the people I’m with, it’s just outside my comfort zone and I feel inspired. Step 4 is a recent favorite of mine. I’ll hear or notice something and just know that I need to write it down. I have no idea what I’ll use these quotes for, if anything, but it’s nice to know I have an idea base when I’m in the mood to write.
Step 5 also stood out to me because up until 2 weeks ago, I thought I wanted to go into academe—into teaching, but I discovered that’s not where my heart is. I would be miserable and my students would suffer. So I’ve opted to go the route of editing and publishing (hopefully), so it was nice to hear affirmation that there isn’t only one path to go down as a writer. Overall a delightfully funny and helpful read. And after step 10…I’m hungry. I hear a Popsicle calling my name. Hmm….that gives me an idea for a story…
-Katie Huffman
-Katie Huffman
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Best Writing Tips I've Seen So Far...
I love these steps. One of my favorite things Silvis says is "...do all this without resorting to palliatives. They will numb you to the soul-knitting potential of life's blows. Rehab is for actors, not writers" (2). YES! There is so much out in the world--so much joy and pain to experience! In my short life I've learned that experiences make stories, whether the experiences are funny, sad, awful, etc. Happy experiences make stories, too, but sometimes one comes to a happy conclusion after a bad moment. I like those kinds of stories. I also love the step "Read everything you can get your hands on" (1). SO many writers say this, and it's so important. I love to read, and have been reading books since I was five. If I hadn't started so early or enjoyed it so much, I would have no clue how to write!
There are so many great steps here! I agree with Silvis's advice about not allowing oneself to marry writing. He says love is still important, that "there is nothing more creative than loving somebody" (2). I heartily agree! I'm definitely going to keep this page of writing tips. It is short, the formatting welcomes the eye, and it packs a lot of meaning and advice into four pages.
---Laura Strawn Ojeda
There are so many great steps here! I agree with Silvis's advice about not allowing oneself to marry writing. He says love is still important, that "there is nothing more creative than loving somebody" (2). I heartily agree! I'm definitely going to keep this page of writing tips. It is short, the formatting welcomes the eye, and it packs a lot of meaning and advice into four pages.
---Laura Strawn Ojeda
10 Easy Steps
Silvis' piece was a great way to end the quarter. It incorporated many aspects of writing we have discussed throughout our classes together. Right away I noticed, a list! We tied in one of our first conversations to one of our last. I enjoyed his writing style. Advice was well taken and after reading I wanted to find all the ways I fit into his category of a writer. His humor was well placed. Right from his introduction he set up that contract with me, he made me laugh. I was excited to read his advice.
I thought his advice on living life was fun. Many of us haven't experienced a lot. Now, we pretend to visit the world or fall in love by escaping our lives and watching films or fooling ourselves into thinking we have many friendships when all we do is chat on Facebook. How can we describe a sunset if we haven't seen one with our own eyes? I think this is great advice for our generation, as well as the upcoming generation. Although I like to think I'm lucky because I have travel a number of places, I wonder now if I gained the knowledge I should have from my experiences. If I truly opened up to the world the way I could have.
I laughed to see that my choice of profession was the "worst possible choice" (2) for writers to escape poverty. I never thought of myself as a writer first, so maybe I'm off the hook. :) One of my favorite pieces of advice was on page 3. He writes, "There is nothing more creative than loving somebody. And nothing will make you a better writer." We need to be vulnerable to life. Experience it. Loving someone can be bigger than a boyfriend of girlfriend. Love those around you. Love by spending time with the elderly. Love by cooking with an aunt. Love by traveling with a roommate. Love by writing letters to an old friend. Love by playing hide-and-go-seek with kids. Make moments. By allowing ourselves as humans to interact with one another and being vulnerable to the idea of creating relationships, we will grow in knowledge and experiences. I adored that advice and hopefully can act on it.
-Angela Payaban
One of the most moving segments and I think the the point where I felt the author's meaning most, was the obituary of 42 year old Brian Doyle from Oregon. The author's reaction to this obit was haunting. "What Brian died of, the article does not say. Nor does it say who he was,. It doesn't say who or how he loved. It doesnt report the color of his eyes. It doesn't show the shape of his ambition." Very strong words. We live our lives to have them summarized in an obituary that can list our accomplishments and aspirations, but the only way to know someone, to know why they wanted to live, to know what made them love the people they loved, is to connect with them.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
"Being Brians" Reflection
“Being Brians” was different from what I normally read. The author was pretty bold to send the
questions out online to all the different people sharing his name and expecting
the real Brian Doyles to answer. It
looks like it’s just a survey and the results of such, some results turning out
to be legit and others being duds and dead ends. I guess all the other Brians were told that
their words would be published. I don’t
think I’d like my personal stories spread to the world by anyone other than
myself. Then again, the author does find
his name again in the obituaries and notes how unimportant this Doyle’s life
seemed to the paper, after listing some Brians who answered the questions with important facts about themselves…
Personally, I guess I just enjoy “Brian Doyle on Being Brians” more than the article
itself. The article doesn’t seem to have
an actual point, just that this author decided to find out just how many Brian
Doyles there were and how many of them would be willing to talk about their
personal lives. I guess I just prefer
pieces, articles, or cut parts that have an actual point to them. If it’s a true story that gets the emotions
running, I’m behind it. If it has a
moral or another kind of lesson to learn, I’ll read it. If there’s a thesis and the author proves his
or her point strongly enough for people to believe it, I’ll give the author a
chance. This just didn’t seem to have an
actual point to me, is all. Still, I can see the passion that went into this and how others would like it. It's just a little too different for me, is all.
Idida Z. Casado
Being Brians
What does it mean to be a Brian Doyle? I suppose this is the question that the author, Brian Doyle, asked himself when he started working on this piece. It must have taken him months to even prepare to write the first draft. He had, assuming he tried to contact all of them, 215 letters to send out and receive replies for. That would take some time and effort but, I imagine, the end result would be worth it. I think it would be very interesting to find out what other Kayla Santos' are like. I went to the website mentioned in the piece and searched for my name. Surprisingly there are only seven of us in the nation, according to the site. I wonder if they have a life anything like mine, if they have any traits like mine. I think that Doyle must have wondered the same. It was interesting reading how Brian Doyle related to the stories of the other Brians. He chose some intriguing, though sometimes simple, replies. He was able to round out his story by using Brians who were very different from each other. I suppose it just shows how, though we are different, we still have a connection to one another, be it our names or simply that we are human.
Kayla Santos
Kayla Santos
Blog 9 by Ruthie Heavrin
Our family phone number was one digit away from Blockbuster's number. People would call us and ask if we had Little Mermaid in stock or if Man of the House has come out on VHS yet. Sometimes, I would actually go and look at our personal collection of DVDs and VHSs to see if we did indeed have a copy of Die Hard 3. "Yes, yes we do," I would tell the person on the other line. Although this has nothing to do with sharing the same name as a million other people, it did get me thinking about who else shared our number. After one such Blockbuster mis-dial, I gave in to my curiosity and called 335-8686 from a variety of area codes.
"Is this (706) 335-8686? Really? Cool, I'm, (909) 335-8686. Does anyone call you and ask for Blockbuster? No? Well that's weird because - hello? Hello?" Apparently, none of the other 335-8686'ers were as ecstatic about having our fairly easy to memorize phone number. When FB started, I added all the Ruth Heavrins. There were none so I added none of them. One man named Michael Heavrin tried to add me, but since I had never met him before, I told him, "Sorry, I only add people I know." He protested and said that we might be related. Might wasn't strong enough for me. I guess my need for connection slipped away after my phone number rejection.
After reading "Being Brian," I realized that I had gone about my 335-8686 project all wrong. I needed connector questions like Brian Doyle. He asked them about real life and real issues. He brought together not just Brians, but a larger group of humanity searching for human connections. That's the irony of his piece. Everyone knows it would be ridiculous to assume that these people are connected by just their name. They are connected by being people, not Brian. They (and we) are connected by suffering from poverty or watching the world slip on the seven o'clock news. What we could all learn from Doyle as writers is to connect our readers in unusual, new, and interesting ways.
The Strength of Nonfiction
"There are 215 Brian Doyle's in the United States, according to a World Wide Web site called 'Switchboard'" (163). Doyle's opening line is simple and factual. I would believe if you told me it was taken from a research paper. So why is it so intriguing? Why would a sentence so basic be a hook?
Simply put, nonfiction is an oft-undervalued form of writing.
While Being Brians is true and relatively straightforward in its delivery and writing style, I'd go as far as to label it "creative nonfiction." Why? Because if I tried to write the very same piece in the same way, no one would want to read it. It took skill and craft, and a basic understanding of human nature to put together an essay like this. I think the greatest strength he played off of was his interest in the matter.
Doyle was interested enough in whom he shared his name with to look them up in the first place. He didn't stop there, though, and wrote them and asked for responses. I'm sure his interest was only piqued more when he received the first replies, and whatever it kindled in him must have been fun. Lots of fun. I think Doyle used interest in two ways. The first way he used it was simple. If he thought this was interesting, others must find it interesting, too. The second way he used this fascination was as a drive. If someone is passionate about a social issue, he or she is going to know a lot about it. They will also want to share it with everyone and at every time. This project of Doyle's may not have been so strong as to be a passion, but he sure used his curiosity as a motivation to share, too.
He doesn't spend more than a page introducing the topic of his essay before presenting us with quotes, the actual responses he received. In an exercise of wise conservation, he trusts those replies to carry their own importance, giving simple introductions to many of them, such as "Brian, the undergraduate at the University of Kansas:" (165) or "Brian of Red Hook, New York, eighteen years old:" (165).
The result was that I found myself interested, I found myself caring about these responses. Even though I don't know a single Brian Doyle, and even though it wasn't people sharing my name that were sharing about their lives, I wanted more, grammar errors and all.
I was led briefly down a path of imagination, one in which every "Brian Doyle" in the piece was instead an "Alexander Hirata." How fun that would be.
The interest, the imagination, the subsequent visit to Switchboard–all of it because the real life, the nonfiction is interesting in itself.
-Alexander Hirata
Simply put, nonfiction is an oft-undervalued form of writing.
While Being Brians is true and relatively straightforward in its delivery and writing style, I'd go as far as to label it "creative nonfiction." Why? Because if I tried to write the very same piece in the same way, no one would want to read it. It took skill and craft, and a basic understanding of human nature to put together an essay like this. I think the greatest strength he played off of was his interest in the matter.
Doyle was interested enough in whom he shared his name with to look them up in the first place. He didn't stop there, though, and wrote them and asked for responses. I'm sure his interest was only piqued more when he received the first replies, and whatever it kindled in him must have been fun. Lots of fun. I think Doyle used interest in two ways. The first way he used it was simple. If he thought this was interesting, others must find it interesting, too. The second way he used this fascination was as a drive. If someone is passionate about a social issue, he or she is going to know a lot about it. They will also want to share it with everyone and at every time. This project of Doyle's may not have been so strong as to be a passion, but he sure used his curiosity as a motivation to share, too.
He doesn't spend more than a page introducing the topic of his essay before presenting us with quotes, the actual responses he received. In an exercise of wise conservation, he trusts those replies to carry their own importance, giving simple introductions to many of them, such as "Brian, the undergraduate at the University of Kansas:" (165) or "Brian of Red Hook, New York, eighteen years old:" (165).
The result was that I found myself interested, I found myself caring about these responses. Even though I don't know a single Brian Doyle, and even though it wasn't people sharing my name that were sharing about their lives, I wanted more, grammar errors and all.
I was led briefly down a path of imagination, one in which every "Brian Doyle" in the piece was instead an "Alexander Hirata." How fun that would be.
The interest, the imagination, the subsequent visit to Switchboard–all of it because the real life, the nonfiction is interesting in itself.
-Alexander Hirata
Names and Relationships
I thought this piece was a fun read. I mean, who isn't curious about other people that hold the same exact name as us? I've searched for my name on google and I saw that there are others from the same cultural background as me but their name is always spelled differently from mine. But it's crazy, because you almost want to know a little bit about them. Who are they? Where do they come from? Do they have similar interests? I have yet to know and or meet someone with the name Felicia Tonga but I'm sure that if I did I would be very curious of who they are.
Although Brian Doyle does not know who these people are personally you can almost sense a connection between him and the people that hold the same names as him. On page 169 Brian wakes up to find a number of returned envelopes. Doyle says, "Where are those Brian Doyle's? The lost Brian Doyle's?" It's almost as if his name creates a relationship between him and the other Brians. It's weird but a lot of people create relationships with other people just based off of their name. For instance, my sister has 6 kids, each are named after a family member from her husbands side. In return, each child is spoiled by their namesake. This is solely based on their name and nothing else. Pretty funny when I think about it but it's true... Names really do have a way of creating relationships.
-Felicia Tonga
Monday, June 4, 2012
Have you ever searched your name?
I have searched my name on a Korea search engine before. The most prominent person who kept showing up was a news anchor with my name, but the reason was she fainted during a live news and people were keep searching about her. I checked the video of her passing out during the news and got awestruck. It was weird to have someone who has same name as mine being on the web as a top search. But since my name is not a very common one even in Korea, I have not seen that many Hae-Lims in my life.
Brian Doyle sure did a lot of research for this piece. All those other Brians who wrote back to him must have felt some kind of empathy toward him. He uses details on each Brians' life and his life to imply that even though the Brians around the United states share something but also they are all different individuals.
Name is a part of a person's identity. Even though there are people with same name all the time, it is not difficult to remember one certain person if that person is a friend or family. But finding someone who shares the name on purpose--well, how many people actually do that? This piece had its own unique purpose and it serves well.
Hae-Lim Lee
Brian Doyle sure did a lot of research for this piece. All those other Brians who wrote back to him must have felt some kind of empathy toward him. He uses details on each Brians' life and his life to imply that even though the Brians around the United states share something but also they are all different individuals.
Name is a part of a person's identity. Even though there are people with same name all the time, it is not difficult to remember one certain person if that person is a friend or family. But finding someone who shares the name on purpose--well, how many people actually do that? This piece had its own unique purpose and it serves well.
Hae-Lim Lee
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Being Brians
I thought it was brave of Doyle to write to all of those other Brians, and was quite surprised to hear that there were so many. Even though we don't hear a lot from our Brian Doyle, he balances his and the voices of the other Brians very well. We don't get lost in them and they are organized in a way that ties them all together. Each piece of the letters we hear from also does its job showing the reader the humanity and realness of each Brian. We get to read about their wives, children, careers, achievements and more just from those excerpts. I think some admiration goes to our Doyle here for combing through each letter and choosing the most poignant aspects of each one. I'm sure there was so much more that he could have included in this piece, but he uses just enough to engage the reader and make them want to know more.
Just as others have mentioned in their blog posts, I couldn't resist googling my name as well. I didn't expect there to be any other JustYne's... and there were none (but plenty of Justins and a few Justines). The results that came up were Facebook, OrgSync, gmail, and even this blog. Still, it was interesting to see for myself the electronic footprint I have left in the World Wide Web.
However, when I checked the Switchboard site Doyle says he used, apparently I don't exist... hmmm.
Justyne Marin
Just as others have mentioned in their blog posts, I couldn't resist googling my name as well. I didn't expect there to be any other JustYne's... and there were none (but plenty of Justins and a few Justines). The results that came up were Facebook, OrgSync, gmail, and even this blog. Still, it was interesting to see for myself the electronic footprint I have left in the World Wide Web.
However, when I checked the Switchboard site Doyle says he used, apparently I don't exist... hmmm.
Justyne Marin
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