1. In the handout on feature types, you have these experienced writers explain profiles, travel features, historical features as well as first person essays. Discuss three points you got from the reading about three different features. (Example: on profiles, I learned this... with travel I got this..., etc.).
2. After reading the first person essay: The Stalking of Kristin, tell me how you immediately felt after completing this extra-long feature. What made you feel that way?
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im not sure if this is where we are supposed to respond? but here goes!
ReplyDelete1. on profiles i learned that the profile is not only about a specific person, but also about the idea they are connected to in general. on history stories I learned that even though you can't necessarily interview the subject but there are many other sources you can use. Lastly, on narrative investigative writing I learned that that there are three main things to remember when writing this kind of feature, remember the importance of the story's villains, admit when you don't know something and remember the importance of graphics.
2. I am in shock that Cartier went through so much law enforcement for different things but was still able to walk free and kill someone.
1. The profiles had a wealth of advice on strategic questioning. In a way, I've been counting on the person I interview to be interesting and make my story come alive, but sometimes it's difficult to draw that 'je ne sais quoi' out of a person. I was aware that there is an art to questioning, but inexperienced as I am at interviewing, I like to have very particular examples. I was inspired by the methods that these writers have used to draw their subjects out--even a seemingly-bizarre abstract question can offer up an artful, multi-dimensional answer.
ReplyDeleteTravel writing is something that has always intrigued me, and I love that they recommended visiting places close to home. I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge and I've seen Niagra Falls, and in my humble, oft-overlooked appalachian state I have seen bridges and waterfalls of far greater beauty. So why not redirect the public eye to the grandeur that may be had near-at-hand? (also, there may be a market in the local paper for such stories.)
Finally, I find the 'personal essay' section to be particularly helpful, as I am also taking a personal essay class this semester. I felt that I had that genre down-pat, but now that I've read this I've been thinking about all of the new angles that I haven't even attempted when writing about myself. At present, I am searching myself for 'intense contradictions' :)
2. I'm not sure this is the intent of the essay's length, or just a side-factor, but by the end of reading it I was emotionally exhausted. I thought the whole ordeal was pretty horrific--had I not been reading in the library, I probably would have shouted at my screen like I do while watching horror-films.
What I felt most acutely was frustration: frustration at the flawed system, frustration at the people who ignored his threats, frustration at the abusive man and the abused women, frustration at the people who refused to take responsibility for this tragedy...